An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee.
In 2022, it was estimated there were 70.5 million IDPs worldwide. The first year for which global statistics on IDPs are available was in 1989. the countries with the largest IDP populations were Ukraine (8 million), Syria (7.6 million), Sudan (7.3 million), Ethiopia (5.5 million), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5.2 million), Colombia (4.9 million), Yemen (4.3 million), Afghanistan (3.8 million), Iraq (3.6 million), South Sudan (1.9 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), Nigeria (1.2 million) and Somalia (1.1 million). More than 85% of Palestinians in Gaza (1.9 million) were internally displaced as of January 2024.
The United Nations and the UNHCR support monitoring and analysis of worldwide IDPs through the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.IDMC at the UNHCR website : "At the request of the United Nations, the Geneva-based IDMC runs an online database providing comprehensive information and analysis on internal displacement in some 50 countries."
Definition
Whereas 'refugee' has an authoritative definition under the 1951 Refugee Convention, there is no universal legal definition of internally displaced persons (IDP); only a regional treaty for African countries (see Kampala Convention). However, a United Nations report, Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement uses the definition of: persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.
While the above stresses two important elements of internal displacement (coercion and the domestic/internal movement), rather than a strict definition the Guiding Principles offer "a descriptive identification of the category of persons whose needs are the concern of the Guiding Principles".KALIN, G. "Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Annotations." The American Society of International Law & The Brookings Institution Project on Internal Displacement. Studies in Transnational Legal Policy, No. 32, 2000. In this way, the document "intentionally steers toward flexibility rather than legal precision"VINCENT, M., "IDPs: rights and status", Forced Migration Review, August 2000, p. 30. as the words "in particular" indicate that the list of reasons for displacement is not exhaustive. However, as Erin Mooney has pointed out, "global statistics on internal displacement generally count only IDPs uprooted by conflict and human rights violations. Moreover, a recent study has recommended that the IDP concept should be defined even more narrowly, to be limited to persons displaced by violence."MOONEY, E. "The Concept of Internal Displacement and the Case for Internally Displaced Persons as a Category of Concern." Refugee Survey Quarterly. (24) 3, 2005, p. 12. This outlook has become outdated, however, as natural disasters and slow-onset climate degradation have become the primary driving force behind internal displacement in recent years, although conflict remains the primary reason for pre-existing IDPs overall.IMDC (2022) "Global Report on Internal Displacement 2022." Geneva: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, Norwegian Refugee Council. p. 12. Climate displaced IDPs are therefore being given more attention overall through being recorded in statistics. Thus, despite the non-exhaustive reasons for internal displacement, many consider IDPs as those who would be defined as refugees if they were to cross an international border, hence, the term refugees in all but the name is often applied to IDPs.
IDP populations
It is very difficult to get accurate figures for internally displaced persons because populations are not constant. IDPs may be returning home while others are fleeing, and others may periodically return to IDP camps to take advantage of humanitarian aid. While the case of IDPs in large camps such as those in Darfur, western Sudan, are relatively well-reported, it is very difficult to assess those IDPs who flee to larger towns and cities. It is necessary for many instances to supplement official figures with additional information obtained from operational humanitarian organizations on the ground. Thus, the 24.5 million figure must be treated as an estimate. p. 13. Additionally, most official figures only include those displaced by conflict or natural disasters. Development-induced IDPs often are not included in assessments. It has been estimated that between 70 and 80% of all IDPs are women and children. p. 6.
50% of internally displaced people and refugees were thought to be in urban areas in 2010, many of them in protracted displacement with little likelihood of ever returning home. A 2013 study found that these protracted urban displacements had not been given due weight by international aid and governance as historically they had focused on rural displacement responses. The study argues that this protracted urban displacement needs a fundamental change in the approach to those who are displaced and their host societies. They note that re-framing responses to urban displacement will also involve human rights and development actors and local and national governments. They call for a change in the narrative around the issue is needed to reflect ingenuity and fortitude displayed by displaced populations, the opportunities for self-sufficiency and safety represented by urban areas, and that the displaced can make a contribution to their host societies. An updated country by country breakdown can be found online.
Latest IDP population The following table is a list of countries and territories by the number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs). According to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the internal displacement figures refer to the number of forced movements of people within the borders of their country recorded during the year, and may include individuals who have been displaced more than once. The total number of IDPs is a snapshot of all the people living in internal displacements at the end of the year, and is the sum of the number of conflict IDPs and disaster IDPs.
+Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) (2022) Country / TerritoryConflict Internal DisplacementConflict IDPsDisaster Internal DisplacementDisaster IDPsTotal IDPs32,0003,444,000220,0002,482,0005,926,0003202,0001,5001,5005926261,8007307,6008,4008,40017,0009,9009,900659,000190659,000560427,0001,524,0008,600435,6001005,1008208201,2001,2006,9006,9008,1003,00065065091,000785891,0585,6005,600708,00044,00049,6009001414438,0001,882,0002,4001,882,0006008,50013,00067,00075,50028,0003,9003,900139,000987,00066,00023,0001,010,00015,000280280290,000516,00077,000516,00080,000300,000158,000300,0001,5001,5001,5003,632,000146,000146,000339,0004,766,000281,00041,0004,807,00027,00042,000201,000228,00071,600302,0002,500302,000100383890,000246,00054246,0004,004,0005,686,000423,000283,0005,969,000206,10054,0007,9007,9006,4002,2002,20073,00052,0004,60052,0003603603602,032,0003,852,000873,000717,0004,569,0004,800400400845,0004444177,8005,6007,0005,600308,00043031,000339,0006302,7005,9005,90071060601405242,00074,0007,900249,900340120106,000171,00015,00024,000195,000260247,00046,0003,900250,900330561,000631,0002,507,00032,000663,0007,10072,000308,00068,000140,00042,00039039032,0001,169,00051,00069,0001,238,000261,1004,10030030051,00045,0006,0001201204,0001413415,00030,000318,000373,000403,00016,00012016,00014166,0004,0001,70044,0045605605602735360135,000135,0002,800291,00068,00070,800297,000156,000680680370154,000380,00024,00032,000412,00028282823,00023,00023,000140889,200386,00011,0003,600389,6007575759,500283,0001,030,000113,000127,0001,157,0001,006,0001,498,00013,0003,0001,501,00093,00058,00058,0001501701502,8001501507716,0001188101,000372,000248,0005,100377,100148,0003,646,0002,437,000854,0004,500,0002001101101704568021,0008,168,0001,025,0001,046,0001,80012,00025012,00046064,00094,0009,60019094,19073,00024,00029,000102,000123,000102,0005,453,000533,000635,0004,5003349,00058581607,1007,5002,700287,5287,8003,6003,600142408,40012,0004608,860195,0001195,0003,0008003,0005001,00011111,011621,0003,864,0001,152,0003,864,00062,00022022030,0005,1005,100337,0001,475,000596,000665,0002,140,00031,000101012,00011,0002312,023560333314,0003,553,000105,000227,0003,780,0001,5006644171,0006,865,00021,0006,865,0001,70026018184,2002,2002,20041,00022,00068041,6802,3002,30016,0004,7007,0002,40026026040772,0001,099,0006,900521,099,0521602,0004,80034,00038,00042,80016,870,0005,914,00015,914,0001,9008080675,000543,000543,00080017039013,0009,9009,900353,0002,2002,200276,0004,523,000171,0004,523,0003,6003,6003,6001,300Total28,270,38561,476,56532,541,1658,978,16970,454,734
Historical IDP populations + UNHCR registered IDPs and people in IDP-like situations by country/territory between 2007 and 2014 Country/territory 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Afghanistan129,300153,700230,700297,100351,900447,500486,300631,300Azerbaijan686,600686,600603,300586,000592,900599,200600,300609,000Bosnia and Herzegovina135,500131,000124,500113,600113,400113,000103,40084,500Burundi13,900100,000100,000100,000157,20078,80078,90078,900CAR147,000197,000197,000197,000192,500106,20051,700894,400Chad112,700178,900166,700170,500231,000124,00090,00019,800Colombia3,000,0003,000,0003,000,0003,304,0003,672,1003,888,3003,943,5005,368,100Congo3,500Côte d'Ivoire709,200709,000686,000519,100517,100126,70045,00024,000Croatia4,0002,9002,5002,3002,100DRC1,075,3001,317,9001,460,1002,050,7001,721,4001,709,3002,669,1002,963,800Georgia246,000271,300329,800352,600360,000274,000279,800257,600Iraq1,834,4002,481,0002,647,3001,552,0001,343,6001,332,4001,131,800954,100Kenya250,000404,000399,000300,000300,000Kyrgyzstan80,000163,900Lebanon200,00070,000Libya93,60059,40053,600Mali227,900254,800Montenegro16,20016,200Myanmar58,50067,30067,30062,000239,200339,200430,400372,000Nepal100,00050,000Nigeria360,000Pakistan155,800155,8001,894,600952,000452,900758,000747,500Philippines139,500159,5001,200117,400Russia158,900263,70091,50079,90075,400Serbia227,600226,400225,900224,900228,400228,200227,800227,500Somalia400,0001,000,0001,277,2001,392,3001,463,8001,356,8001,133,0001,133,000South Sudan223,700209,700345,700331,100Sri Lanka469,000459,600504,800434,900273,800138,40093,50042,200Sudan1,325,2001,225,0001,201,0001,079,1001,602,2002,033,1001,873,3001,873,300Syria2,016,5006,520,800East Timor155,20062,60015,900Uganda1,814,9001,236,000853,000428,600125,600Yemen77,000100,000250,000193,700347,300385,300306,600Zimbabwe54,30057,90060,100 Country/territory 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Protection and assistance The problem of protecting and assisting IDPs is not a new issue. In international law it is the responsibility of the government concerned to provide assistance and protection for the IDPs in their country. However, as many of the displaced are a result of civil conflict and violence or where the authority of the central state is in doubt, there is no local authority willing to provide assistance and protection. p. 264. It has been estimated that some 5 million IDPs in 11 countries are "without any significant humanitarian assistance from their governments." Under these circumstances rehabilitation policies on humanitarian grounds should be aimed at reducing inequality of opportunity among these vulnerable groups by integrating them into local social services and allowing them access to jobs, education, and healthcare opportunities; otherwise new conflicts might break out.