Internal displacement reaches record high of 71.1 million in 2022

The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world has increased dramatically, with 71.1 million people displaced by the end of 2022, an increase of 20% over the previous year.

The annual report from the Center for Monitoring Internal Displacement revealed that 60.9 million people fled seeking safety and refuge, often more than once, an increase of 60% on the previous year. Conflict, disasters and food insecurity have exacerbated the crisis, with the number of internal displacements due to conflict and violence three times the annual average over the past decade.

Ten countries account for three-quarters of the world's internally displaced persons, including Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Colombia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan.
In 2022, nearly 17 million displacements were triggered by conflict in Ukraine, while monsoon flooding in Pakistan displaced 8.2 million people, representing a quarter of global disaster displacement for the year.

The report also showed that the number of disaster displacements increased by almost 40% compared to the previous year, reaching 32.6 million, largely due to the effects of La Niña, which continued for the third consecutive year.

South Asia recorded the highest regional figure, while the Horn of Africa was hit by the worst drought in 40 years, prompting 2.1 million movements, including 1.1 million in Somalia alone.

Crises around the world have combined to create a "perfect storm", according to Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. Conflict and disasters have combined in the past year to exacerbate people's pre-existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, triggering displacement on a scale never seen before. Overlapping crises have undermined years of progress in reducing global hunger and malnutrition.

The IDMC report highlighted the connection between food security and displacement, showing that the former is often a consequence of the latter and can have lasting impacts on both IDPs and host communities.

Three quarters of the countries facing critical levels of food insecurity also host internally displaced persons. To address the challenges facing displaced people, there is a growing need for durable solutions, from expanding cash assistance and livelihood programs that improve the economic security of IDPs to investing in poverty reduction measures. risks that strengthen the resilience of their communities.

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