Record 75.9 million people to be internally displaced by 2023, UN report reveals
According to the United Nations International Organization for Migration, this year also saw nearly 47 million new internal displacements, highlighting the urgent need for protection and prevention efforts.IOM), which provides data for the report.
“As the planet struggles with conflict and disaster, The staggering figure of 47 million new internal displacements tells a heartbreaking story,” said IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels.
“This report is a clear reminder of the urgent and coordinated need to expand disaster risk reduction, support peacebuilding, ensure the protection of human rights and, wherever possible, prevent displacement before it happens,” She added.
More than 9.5 million people are displaced in Sudan and Gaza
The report cites conflict and violence as the main causes of displacement, causing about 20.5 million people to flee their homes by 2023.
Nearly 30% of these occurred in Sudanwhile Gaza accounting for 17%, equivalent to 3.4 million in the last three months of the year.
Natural disasters also continue to force millions of people to leave their homes.
In 2023, disasters such as Tornado Freddy in southeast Africa, Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria And Mocha Cyclone in the Indian Ocean resulted in 26.4 million displacements, accounting for 56% of all new displacements in the country.
Notably, the number of people displaced by natural disasters has increased in high-income countries, highlighted by an unprecedented wildfire season in Canada that left 185,000 people internally displaced.
Worrying trend
In the future, the number of people displaced by natural disasters is expected to increase as natural hazards become more frequent, prolonged and intense due to the impacts of climate change.
Despite these significant challenges, knowledge gaps still exist.
IOM emphasized that the international community needs better data to understand, prevent, manage and address internal displacement in both conflict and disaster contexts.
