In recent years the number of refugees and internally displaced persons in the world has grown rapidly, raising concerns among governments and international agencies about the need to shelter and protect these unfortunate people. These include an estimated 700,000 Palestinians in Jordan and 350,000 Burmese in Thailand.
Refugees sometimes move in both directions between neighboring African countries.
Among refugees in the Near East, Palestinians are the largest group. Most have settled in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, or the West Bank. The second largest refugee group consists of Afghanis who fled to Iran and Pakistan when the Soviet Union intervened militarily in Afghanistan in 1979. In 1995 Iran had about 2 million refugees, more than any other country. Other regions have fewer refugees, but several countries have substantial numbers, nonetheless.