Wars, conflicts and disasters plunge millions of people into misery. The majority are seeking refuge elsewhere in their home country – 50 percent more than five years previously.
Wars and conflicts have driven the number of people fleeing their own countries to a new record worldwide. At the end of 2023, 75.9 million people were internally displaced – that is, they had fled their communities and found accommodation elsewhere in their home country, reported the Observatory for Internally Displaced People (IDMC).
That was around seven percent more than a year before and 50 percent more than five years before. According to the information, two thirds of those newly displaced in 2023 lived in the Gaza Strip, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The total number of people who had to flee their homeland because of wars, conflicts or disasters is significantly higher. It also takes into account people who have fled across borders to other countries. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, this number was around 114 million people at the end of 2023. The UNHCR fears it could rise to 130 million by the end of the year.
“Devastating Judgment”
According to IDMC, almost 90 percent of the internally displaced people had to flee their hometowns due to conflict and violence, the others due to disasters. At the end of 2023, there were 7.7 million people displaced by floods, storms, earthquakes, fires and other disasters who had found refuge elsewhere in their home countries. The liaison office is committed to providing more assistance to countries in caring for internally displaced people.
“Conflict and the devastation that lies behind people means that millions are unable to rebuild their lives, often for years,” said IDMC Director Alexandra Bilak. The high number is “a devastating judgment on the failure of conflict prevention and peacebuilding,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, which founded the observatory.
Source: Stern
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