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Arab News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
What is behind the biggest surge in internal displacement ever recorded?
DUBAI: The world is witnessing a historic surge in displacement — not across borders, but within them. Ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, coupled with the escalating frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, continue to drive millions from their homes. By the end of 2024, more than 83.4 million people in the world were internally displaced — the highest number yet recorded. According to the 2025 Global Report on Internal Displacement, that figure has nearly doubled in just six years — the equivalent of displacing the entire population of Germany. More broadly, the latest figures from UNHCR's Global Trends Report 2025 show that the total number of forcibly displaced people worldwide — including refugees, asylum seekers, and those internally displaced — had reached 122.1 million by the end of April 2025, up from 120 million the year before. 'We are living in a time of intense volatility in international relations, with modern warfare creating a fragile, harrowing landscape marked by acute human suffering,' said Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, responding to the figures. 'We must redouble our efforts to search for peace and find long-lasting solutions for refugees and others forced to flee their homes.' While Grandi highlighted the urgent need for global solutions, experts tracking internal displacement say the crisis is becoming increasingly entrenched within national borders. 'Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty, and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,' Alexandra Bilak, director of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, said in a statement. The latest figures reveal internal displacement is no longer just a humanitarian issue, she said, but a complex political and development challenge that continues to be overlooked. 'The data is clear — it's now time to use it to prevent displacement, support recovery, and build resilience,' Bilak said. The global surge in internal displacement was felt across every region in 2024, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement. An internally displaced person is someone forced to flee their home to escape conflict, persecution, or disaster. But unlike refugees, they remain within their country's borders. Sub-Saharan Africa is the epicenter of this global surge, home to 38.8 million internally displaced persons — making up almost 46 percent of the global total. All 23 countries in the region that experienced conflict-related displacement also suffered from disaster-induced movements, compounding already dire humanitarian needs. In the Middle East and North Africa, conflict-related displacement also surged — particularly in the Gaza Strip, where conflict has raged since October 2023. About 2 million Palestinians were forced from their homes, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement. The Americas likewise showed a dramatic increase, with 14.5 million people forced to flee within their national boundaries. The US alone accounted for 11 million disaster-related movements — nearly a quarter of the global total for such events. In South Asia, disaster displacement nearly tripled, to 9.2 million, the region's second-highest figure in more than a decade. Conflict was the primary driver of internal displacement in 2024. In Sudan, the situation has deteriorated dramatically since fighting erupted there in April 2023. 'It has become the largest and most devastating displacement, humanitarian and protection crisis in the world today,' Tarik Argaz, a UNHCR representative, told Arab News. As of mid-2024, more than 12.4 million people had been displaced in Sudan — including 8.1 million internally and more than 4 million who had fled to neighboring countries. These figures are based on UNHCR's operational data collected during the continuing crisis. By April 2025, the scale of displacement had grown further. According to UNHCR's Global Trends Report, Sudan now represents the largest forced displacement crisis in the world, with a combined total of 14.3 million displaced people — including refugees and internally displaced people. 'Security remains the major challenge in many regions of Sudan,' Argaz said. 'Access to different areas continues to change due to the dynamic nature of the conflict.' Disasters also triggered a record 45.8 million new internal displacements — the highest since 2008. An overwhelming 99.5 percent of these were caused by climate-related events, particularly storms and floods. Argaz said climate change and displacement are becoming increasingly interconnected. 'Adverse effects of climate change and disasters have contributed to increased forced displacement over past decades,' he said. 'As extreme weather events and environmental conditions worsen with global heating, they are contributing to multiple and overlapping crises, increasing poverty and loss of livelihoods. 'The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre estimates that over 25 million people are forced to move due to disaster-related causes each year. 'The majority of people forcibly displaced by persecution, conflict and violence today live in countries that are highly vulnerable and ill-prepared to adapt to climate change.' • 83.4 million By the end of 2024, more than 83.4 million people in the world were internally displaced — the highest number yet recorded. • 9.2 million In South Asia, disaster displacement nearly tripled, to 9.2 million, the region's second-highest figure in more than a decade. Despite ongoing challenges, UNHCR continues to provide lifesaving support — including shelter, healthcare, psychosocial services, and cash assistance — while also working with regional partners to coordinate a broader response to displacement. In a rare sign of progress, 9.8 million forcibly displaced people returned home in 2024, including 1.6 million refugees — the most in more than two decades — and 8.2 million internally displaced persons — the second highest yet recorded. However, many of these returns occurred under difficult political and security conditions. A large number of Afghans, for example, were forced to return to Afghanistan in 2024, often arriving in dire circumstances. In countries such as Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and South Sudan, new displacements unfolded even as others returned. 'Even amid the devastating cuts, we have seen some rays of hope over the last six months,' said UN High Commissioner Grandi, referring to the recent reduction in aid funding by the US and other major Western donors. 'Nearly 2 million Syrians have been able to return home after over a decade uprooted. The country remains fragile and people need our help to rebuild their lives again.' Internally displaced persons should be afforded the same rights and freedoms as all other citizens and habitual residents of their country, Argaz said. 'Our advocacy efforts have been instrumental in supporting the protection of internally displaced persons on various fronts — from access to documentation, education, healthcare, and livelihoods, to promoting economic inclusion and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, which are often the root cause of displacement,' he said. Internally displaced persons often face a range of protection challenges that vary depending on the context. These typically include limited access to basic necessities such as shelter, food, water, and healthcare — particularly during emergencies and in protracted displacement situations. Many are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including gender-based violence. Long-term solutions such as return or local integration are still out of reach for millions. 'The cost of inaction is rising,' Bilak said. 'And displaced people are paying the price.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
13-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
More Than 83 Million People Internally Displaced Worldwide, Says Monitor
Raging conflicts, disasters and worsening climate change displaced tens of millions of people within their own countries last year, a new record, monitors said Tuesday. An unprecedented 83.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) were registered in 2024 -- equivalent to the entire population of Germany -- amid mass displacement from conflicts in places like Sudan and Gaza, as well as floods and giant cyclones. That is more than double the number from just six years ago, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said in their annual joint report on internal displacement. "Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest," IDMC chief Alexandra Bilak said in a statement. The monitors highlighted that nearly 90 percent of the world's IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence -- an 80-percent increase since 2018. Some 10 countries each counted more than three million IDPs from conflict and violence at the end of 2024, with civil war-ravaged Sudan alone home to a staggering 11.6 million IDPs -- the most ever recorded in a single country, the report showed. Some two million people, nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, was also displaced at the end of last year, even before fresh mass displacements since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the Palestinian territory. Worldwide, close to 10 million people were displaced within their countries at the end of last year, after being forced to flee by disasters -- more than double the number from five years ago, the monitors said. A full 65.8 million new internal displacements were meanwhile reported in 2024, with some people forced to flee multiple times during the year, Tuesday's report showed. Conflict was responsible for 20.1 million of those fresh displacements, while a record 45.8 million people fled their homes to escape disasters. Faced with several major hurricanes like Helene and Milton, which prompted mass evacuations, the United States alone accounted for 11 million disaster-related displacements -- nearly a quarter of global total, the report said. Weather-related events, many intensified by climate change, triggered 99.5 percent of all of last year's disaster displacements. The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement had meanwhile tripled in 15 years, with more than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict living in countries that are very vulnerable to climate change. Often, the drivers and impacts of displacement "are intertwined, making crises more complex and prolonging the plight of those displaced", the report said. The stark numbers come as humanitarian organizations worldwide have been reeling since US President Donald Trump returned to office in January, immediately freezing most US foreign aid funding. Many of the sweeping cuts are being felt by IDPs, who typically garner less attention than refugees, who have fled into other countries. "This year's figures must act as a wake-up call for global solidarity," NRC chief Jan Egeland insisted in the statement. "Every time humanitarian funding gets cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, safety and hope," he warned. The lack of progress towards reining in displacement globally, he said, "is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity".
Japan Times
13-05-2025
- General
- Japan Times
More than 83 million people internally displaced worldwide, report shows
Raging conflicts, disasters and worsening climate change displaced tens of millions of people within their own countries last year, a new record, monitors have said. An unprecedented 83.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) were registered in 2024 — equivalent to the entire population of Germany — amid mass displacement from conflicts in places like Sudan and Gaza, as well as floods and giant cyclones. That is more than double the number from just six years ago, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said Tuesday in their annual joint report on internal displacement. "Internal displacement is where conflict, poverty and climate collide, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest," IDMC chief Alexandra Bilak said in a statement. Most displaced by conflict The monitors highlighted that nearly 90% of the world's IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence — an 80% increase since 2018. Some 10 countries each counted more than 3 million IDPs from conflict and violence at the end of 2024, with civil war-ravaged Sudan alone home to a staggering 11.6 million IDPs — the most ever recorded in a single country, the report showed. Some 2 million people, nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, was also displaced at the end of last year, even before fresh mass displacements since Israel ended a two-month ceasefire on March 18, ramping up its bombardment of the Palestinian territory. Worldwide, close to 10 million people were displaced within their countries at the end of last year, after being forced to flee by disasters — more than double the number from five years ago, the monitors said. A full 65.8 million new internal displacements were meanwhile reported in 2024, with some people forced to flee multiple times during the year, the report showed. Conflict was responsible for 20.1 million of those fresh displacements, while a record 45.8 million people fled their homes to escape disasters. 'Stain on humanity' Faced with several major hurricanes like Helene and Milton, which prompted mass evacuations, the United States alone accounted for 11 million disaster-related displacements — nearly a quarter of global total, the report said. Weather-related events, many intensified by climate change, triggered 99.5% of all of last year's disaster displacements. The number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement had meanwhile tripled in 15 years, with more than three-quarters of people internally displaced by conflict living in countries that are very vulnerable to climate change. Often, the drivers and impacts of displacement "are intertwined, making crises more complex and prolonging the plight of those displaced," the report said. The stark numbers come as humanitarian organizations worldwide have been reeling since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in January, immediately freezing most U.S. foreign aid funding. Many of the sweeping cuts are being felt by IDPs. They typically garner less attention than refugees, who have fled into other countries. "This year's figures must act as a wake-up call for global solidarity," NRC chief Jan Egeland insisted in the statement. "Every time humanitarian funding gets cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, safety and hope," he warned. The lack of progress towards reining in displacement globally, he said, "is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity."
