The European Commission and the EU’s High Representative said more than 117 million people are currently displaced worldwide ahead of World Refugee Day.
People have been forced from their homes by conflict, persecution, violence and human rights violations, the EU institutions said.
The EU and its member states described themselves as the world’s leading humanitarian donor and said they support refugees, asylum seekers and host communities, while promoting access to essential services and international protection standards.
The number of displaced people worldwide fell in 2025 for the first time in a decade.
The EU said it has provided temporary protection to more than 4.8 million people fleeing Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It added that the EU is providing humanitarian assistance in places including Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo, including food, water, shelter, education and healthcare.
EU ties aid to longer-term support
The European Commission and the High Representative said the bloc is also investing in longer-term support intended to help refugees and host communities build “self-reliance” through education, livelihoods, social protection, social cohesion and inclusion.
They pointed to a newly adopted Joint Communication on Humanitarian Action, which they said promotes an integrated “approach to fragility” and public-private partnerships for investment in fragile settings.
The EU also said it remains a partner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
A “first European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy” sets out the EU’s approach to migration and asylum, which the institutions described as “fair and firm.”
