Internal Displacement

Mains Syllabus: GS I - Population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues; GS II – International Issues.

Why in the News?

Recently, Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 was released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

What is the global displacement crisis?

Internally displaced people are those who have been forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict, violence, or disasters and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.

• Internal Displacement Rate - According to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025, the number of people internally displaced within their own countries soared to 83.4 million by the end of 2024—the highest figure ever recorded.

• Rapidly Worsening Crisis – The 2024 migration rate marks a doubling of the total figure in just six years highlighting a rapidly worsening global emergency.

• At least ten countries had more than three million conflict-displaced individuals by the end of 2024, double the number from just four years ago.
• Most Affected Region – Conflict displacement remained high in Africa and the Middle East, and in both regions, disasters added to the number of displacements and prolonged the plight of many of those already displaced.
• At the end of 2024, 11.6 million people remained displaced within Sudan’s borders, the highest figure ever recorded in a single country.
• In the Gaza Strip, nearly two million people—essentially the territory’s entire population—were internally displaced by the end of 2024.

An internal displacement refers to each new forced movement of a person within the borders of the country of their habitual residence recorded during the year. This figure illustrates dynamics of displacement in a specific crisis.

• Displacement in South Asia - After drier conditions associated with El Niño in 2023, the number of disaster displacements in South Asia nearly tripled in 2024 to reach 9.2 million.

What are the causes of internal displacement?

• Violent Conflicts – It remained the leading cause of internal displacement in 2024, forcing nearly 90% of displaced individuals to flee within their own countries.
• An estimated 73.5 million people were forced to flee their homes due to armed violence, ethnic strife, civil war or other forms of conflict—a staggering 80% increase since 2018.

• Climate-related Disasters - In 2024, disasters triggered 45.8 million new internal displacements marking the highest annual figure ever recorded.

• Weather-related Events - Especially those intensified by climate change were responsible for 99.5% of disaster-related displacements in 2024.
• This total represents more than double the annual average of the past decade.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton were particularly destructive in the United States, leading to 11 million internal displacements—nearly a quarter of the global total for disaster-related movement.

• Floods - Flooding was the second-most common cause of disaster displacement, responsible for 42% of such movements.
• Countries like Chad, Afghanistan, Brazil, the Philippines and regions across Europe all experienced severe flood events that displaced millions.
• Typhoons - In East Asia, Typhoon Yagi alone triggered mass evacuations and displacement across several nations.
• Overlapping Crises - The convergence of conflict and disaster-driven displacement in the same countries.
• Since 2009, the number of nations experiencing both has tripled.
• In these areas, overlapping crises not only erode resilience but also strain already limited governmental resources.

What are the challenges in addressing internal displacement?

• Vulnerable Destinations - According to the report, over three-quarters of people displaced by conflict in 2024 were living in countries deemed highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change.
• Compounding Impacts - The intersectionality of violent conflicts and climate change exacerbates the difficulty of recovery, stretches the capacity of humanitarian response systems, and heightens the likelihood of secondary or repeated displacements.
• Governance Failure – The displacement situation is particularly dire in fragile states and regions with limited governance.
• Humanitarian Response under Pressure - The alarming rise in internal displacement comes at a time when humanitarian organisations are under immense financial strain, especially with the new US government.

The  new US government has significantly reduced global support ( U.S. foreign aid funding)  for displaced populations.

What needs to be done?

• The global community needs to treat internal displacement not just as a humanitarian issue, but also as a development and political challenge that requires sustained leadership, accountability and investment.
• As a long-term solutions to displacement, which include addressing the root causes of conflict and poverty, adapting to climate risks and ensuring displaced people are need to be included in national development plans.
• Without a substantial shift in political will, policy innovation and financial investment, the number of displaced people will continue to rise—along with human suffering.

Reference

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