The war in Ukraine has led to a gloomy refugee-related milestone. For the first time, more than 100 million people in the world are fleeing war, violence and persecution, according to the UN agency UNHCR.

"One hundred million is a striking figure - equal parts illuminating and alarming. It is a record that should never have been achieved," said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a press release.

According to new data from the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the number of people forced to flee rose to almost 90 million at the end of last year. Behind the increase were erupting violence and protracted conflicts in countries such as Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Congo-Kinshasa.

Since Russia's full - scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, eight million Ukrainians have been forced to flee the country, and more than six million have left the country.

The number who are now on the run worldwide corresponds to just over one percent of the entire planet's population.

"This must be an alarm clock to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, put an end to persecution and address the underlying causes that lead to innocent people being forced to leave their homes," said Filippo Grandi.

The more than one hundred million people include refugees and asylum seekers, as well as 53 million people on the run in their home countries.

"The only way to reverse the trend is through peace and stability, so that innocent people do not have to choose between acute danger at home, and insecure escape and exile," Grandi continues.

On 16 June, the UNHCR will release its annual report on the refugee situation in the world.

Corrected: An earlier version of the text was incorrectly attributed to the UN agency report.