Conflicts and violence across the world have driven the number of internally displaced people to a new record, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
In its annual Global Report on Internal Displacement, published on May 14, 2024, the IDMC revealed that the number of internally displaced people worldwide has reached 75.9 million at the end of 2023.
Internal Displacement
The report defines internally displaced people as those who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict, violence or disaster and who have not crossed State borders.
Internal displacement figure refers to the number of forced movements of people within the borders of their country recorded during the year. The same person can be forced to move multiple times. Each of these movements is counted.
Conflicts and Violence
While disasters displaced 7.7 million, conflict and violence displaced 68.3 million. Almost half of all internally displaced people, 46%, live in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report said that the rise in displacements is a result of new wars and older protracted conflicts that have made it impossible for citizens to return home. Conflict and violence in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Palestine have contributed to this increase.
Record Numbers
According to the report, Sudan witnessed the highest recorded number in a single country since recording began in 2008. At the end of 2023, 9.1 million people were displaced from their homes. The 6 million internal displacements in Sudan, driven by conflict, during 2023 were the second-highest figure recorded in one country since Ukraine in 2022.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of internally displaced people has more than doubled to reach 34.8 million in 2023, rising from 16.5 million in 2018. The region recorded 19.5 million displacements, with Sudan accounting for 45% of that number and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranking the second.
The number of internally displaced people in DRC has risen up to 6.7 million due to the renewed insurgency launched by M23 rebels. Both countries have made up almost half of the world’s displacements in 2023.
In Gaza, 3.4 million displacements were recorded in the last three months of 2023, leading to 1.7 million people being internally displaced by the end of the year. This accounted for 17% of total conflict displacements around the world during the year.
Natural Disasters
Apart from conflict, natural disasters have contributed to the increase in internal displacements. In 2023, floods, storms, earthquakes, wildfires and other disasters caused 26.4 million displacements, the third highest annual total in the past ten years.
Furthermore, the 7.7 million internally displaced people, as a result of disasters, at the end of the year is the second highest recorded number since the IDMC started recording this metric in 2019.
The report noted that 148 countries and territories reported displacements triggered by disasters during 2023. They included high-income countries such as Canada and New Zealand, which recorded their highest figures ever.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Cyclones, hurricanes, storms and wildfires exacerbated in different regions throughout the year.
According to the report, storms and floods accounted for the most disaster displacements in 2023. In south-eastern Africa, cyclone Freddy caused 1.4 million movements across six countries and territories.
Meanwhile, earthquakes and volcanic activity triggered 6.1 million displacements. The earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria led to 4.7 million displacements, one of the largest disaster displacement events since records began in 2008.
Tip of the Iceberg
The IDMC director, Alexandra Bilak, described the recorded displacements in 2023 as the “tip of the iceberg,” as they add to the tens of millions already displaced from previous and ongoing conflicts, violence and disasters.
She said: “Over the past two years, we’ve seen alarming new levels of people having to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, even in regions where the trend had been improving.”
Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said: “Millions of families are having their lives torn apart by conflict and violence. We have never, ever recorded so many people forced away from their homes and communities.”
He added that “the suffering and the displacement last far beyond the news cycle. Too often their fate ends up in silence and neglect. The lack of protection and assistance that millions endure cannot be allowed to continue.”
Not a Temporary Problem
The IDMC pointed out that internally displaced people need more support to be able to return to their homes or integrate into the communities where they are displaced.
Christelle Cazabat, the head of programs at the IDMC, which is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said that internal displacement is still largely considered a temporary situation, which is addressed through emergency assistance. However, it needs long-term support and solutions.
“It’s wrong to think that all displaced people will come back to their homes after a few weeks, maybe after a few months and then just start their lives where they left it,” she told the Guardian. “It’s going to take years to rebuild the houses that have been destroyed,” Cazabat added.
In a similar vein, Bilak highlighted the urgency of addressing the underlying drivers of displacement. She said: “No country is immune to disaster displacement. But we can see a difference in how displacement affects people in countries that prepare and plan for its impacts and those that don’t. Those that look at the data and make prevention, response and long-term development plans that consider displacement fare far better.”