MOSCOW (Sputnik) — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will host the first World Humanitarian Summit on May 23-24, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release on Tuesday.
“The World Humanitarian Summit is a valuable opportunity for international solidarity to halt the terrible suffering of people affected all over the world by conflict and disaster,” United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan Marta Ruedas said, as quoted by the statement.
The participants are expected to decide on steps to be taken toward ending conflicts and stepping up humanitarian relief, the statement added, noting that an exchange of experiences and ideas will also take place.
Between 2011 and 2014, the world's refugee population has grown by 40 percent due to rising violence in the Middle East and North Africa, according to a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report. Global refugees numbered some 13.7 million in 2014, with the number projected to rise to 16.4 by 2017, according the UNHCR.