Global Internally Displaced People (IDPs) reached an unprecedented 75.9 million by the end of 2023, driven by conflicts in Sudan and Gaza, NGO monitor said Tuesday.
The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre said the figure marks a new record high at the close of the year, with the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) within their own borders surging by over 50 percent in the last five years, rising from 71.1 million at the end of 2022.
While refugees flee abroad, internal displacement signifies the forced movement of individuals within their home countries.
In its annual Global Report on Internal Displacement, the IDMC revealed that conflict and violence displaced 68.3 million people worldwide, while disasters uprooted 7.7 million.
Over the past half-decade, conflict-induced internal displacement has escalated by 22.6 million, with significant spikes observed in 2022 and 2023.
Sudan reported the highest number of IDPs recorded for a single country since 2008, totaling 9.1 million, with nearly half of all IDPs residing in sub-Saharan Africa.
IDMC director Alexandra Bilak expressed concern over the rising trend, stating, “Conflict, and the devastation it leaves behind, is keeping millions from re-building their lives, often for years on end.”
The monitor also tracked the number of internal displacements, with 46.9 million forced movements recorded in 2023 alone, including 20.5 million by conflict and violence and 26.4 million by disasters.
Significant conflict-driven displacements were observed in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Palestinian territories, accounting for nearly two-thirds of new movements in 2023.
In the Gaza Strip, 1.7 million Palestinians faced internal displacement by the year’s end, spurred by 3.4 million new movements following the deadliest Gaza war in October.
Sudan witnessed six million forced movements throughout the year, marking the second-highest number within a year after Ukraine’s 16.9 million in 2022.
Disaster-induced movements, totaling 26.4 million, were prominently seen in China and Turkey, driven by severe weather events and earthquakes.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) chief Jan Egeland emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “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.”
