In a briefing to the 15 member states of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Filippo Grandi did not spare any criticism of the UN body whose mandate is to ensure international peace and security.

"It's a bleak political scenario that I see around us, from my humanitarian point of view: short-sighted foreign policy decisions, often with double standards, with lip service to compliance with the law, but with little effort exerted even by this Council to really defend it," Grandi said.

"You'll forgive me for using strong words, but it's the frustration of a humanitarian speaking here: Last year, I invited you to use your voice.

But the cacophony of this Council has meant that they continue to preside over a wider cacophony of chaos around the world," he added, addressing the Security Council, which is largely paralyzed by divisions between its permanent members (China, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Russia).

The Italian diplomat's harsh words followed a briefing in which he exposed the heavy reality faced by refugees and displaced people around the world, stressing that the number of people who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, violence and persecution reached 114 million in the latest UNHCR count.

"Next month we'll update this figure. It will be higher. The political solutions needed to resolve the issue of displacement are obviously still absent," he lamented.

The High Commissioner pointed out that violations of international humanitarian law continued to have a devastating effect on millions of lives around the world, including forcing people to flee.

"In none of the refugee and displacement crises I described to you last October have we seen any sign of progress in this regard," he said.

The diplomat recalled that almost no one wants to leave home, anywhere on the planet, but that most do so because of violence or war, giving as an example the displacement of people from Africa to Europe.

"Rich countries constantly worry about what they call 'irregular movements'. But in this and other situations, they are not doing enough to help people before they turn themselves over to human traffickers. The consequences are inevitable," he said.

Painting a bleak picture of the situation of millions of people around the world, Grandi said that in the Democratic Republic of Congo, children are forced to have sex for less than the price of "a cold drink".

"But how can the members of the United Nations, how can 'we the people', pay so little attention and have so much inaction in a place where sex with a child can be bought for less than a cold drink? What a shameful stain on humanity," he criticized.

In a further warning to the international community, Grandi pointed out that it is too late to help the tens of thousands of people already killed in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and so many other places.

"But it is not too late to focus attention and energy on the crises and conflicts that remain unresolved, lest they fester and explode again. [...] It is not too late to try to save countless millions of people from the scourge of war," urged the UNHCR leader. (N Minute)