76 million internal displacements recorded globally in 2023: summary

What we know

• 2023 marked a grim milestone in the history of internal displacements, with a staggering 20 million incidents recorded globally. This alarming figure, highlighted in the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center's (IDMC) report, underscores a deepening crisis that demands urgent attention and action.
• The IDMC's comprehensive analysis reveals that the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) surged by 50% over the past five years, approximately doubling from the previous decade. The report paints a stark picture of the human cost of conflicts and natural disasters, with nearly 90% of displacements attributed to violence and strife, while the remaining 10%resulted from catastrophic events.
• Sub-Saharan Africa bore the brunt of this crisis, with half of the total number of IDPs located within its borders. Sudan alone accounted for more than 9 million people displaced by the end of 2023, a record for a single country since the IDMC began tracking such data. This surge was primarily due to escalating tensions and open fighting that erupted in April 2023.
• The IDMC report emphasises that the figures represent only the "tip of the iceberg." Behind these numbers are tens of millions of individuals uprooted by ongoing conflicts, violence, and disasters. The director of the group, Alexandra Bilak, poignantly noted that the millions forced to flee in 2023 add to an already extensive list of those displaced in previous years

What they said

Commenting on this development, Alexandra Bilak, the director of IDMC, said the millions of individuals compelled to flee in 2023 represent merely the beginning, with many more displaced individuals expected to follow. This adds to the tens of millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) already uprooted due to past and current conflicts, violence, and natural disasters. “Over the past two years, we’ve seen alarming new levels of people having to flee their homes due to conflict and violence, even in regions where the trend had been improving,” said Ms Bilak. “Conflict, and the devastation it leaves behind, is keeping millions from re-building their lives, often for years on end.”

“Millions of families are having their lives torn apart by conflict and violence. We have never, ever recorded so many people forced away from their homes and communities. It is a damning verdict on the failures of conflict prevention and peace-making,” added Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “The suffering and the displacement last far beyond the news cycle. Too often their fate ends up in silence and neglect. The lack of protection and assistance that millions endure cannot be allowed to continue.”