The number of people fleeing wars, violence, persecution and human rights violations rose by 4 percent in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic battering the world through the year, the United Nations Refugee Agency said.

According to UNHCR’s latest annual Global Trends report released on Friday in Geneva, rose to nearly 82.4 million people, from of the already record-high 79.5 million at the end of 2019.

'Behind each number is a person forced from their home and a story of displacement, dispossession and suffering. They merit our attention and support not just with humanitarian aid, but in finding solutions to their plight," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

"While the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Global Compact on Refugees provide the legal framework and tools to respond to displacement, we need much greater political will to address conflicts and persecution that force people to flee in the first place."

The UNHCR report shows that girls and boys under the age of 18 account for 42 per cent of all forcibly displaced people.

It also estimates that almost one million children were born as refugees between 2018 and 2020, with fear that many of them may remain refugees for years to come.

"The tragedy of so many children being born into exile should be reason enough to make far greater efforts to prevent and end conflict and violence," said Grandi.

The report also notes that the situation got worse for people seeking protection as many countries closed their borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It details that over the course of 2020, some 3.2 million IDPs and just 251,000 refugees returned to their homes – a 40 and 21 per cent drop respectively, compared to 2019.

UNHCR said refugee resettlement registered a drastic plunge, as only 34,400 refugees were resettled in 2020, the lowest level in 20 years. This is attributed to reduced number of resettlement places and COVID-19.

"Solutions require global leaders and those with influence to put aside their differences, end an egoistic approach to politics, and instead focus on preventing and solving conflict and ensuring respect for human rights," said Grandi.