More than 100 Million People Displaced in 2022

December 5, 2022

A report titled “Turning the tide on internal displacement: A development approach to solutions” was released recently by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

What are the key findings of the report?

For the first time in history, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced in 2022, majority of them within their own countries.
Internally displaced communities are struggling to access basic amenities, find decent work or have a stable source of income.
By the end of 2021, conflicts, violence, disasters and climate change has forcefully displaced some 59 million people.
This is the highest number of displaced people recorded and more than double the number recorded a decade ago.
Before the war broke out in Ukraine, an estimated 6.5 million people were internally displaced.
The report recommended long-term actions to reverse the record levels of internal displacement.
The direct impact of internal displacement in 2021 is around 21.5 billion USD. This is the cost incurred by the governments while providing internally displaced people with housing, education, health and security as well as the income loss incurred for one year of displacement.
Displacement disrupted the professional lives of internally displaced persons in the 8 surveyed countries (Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Somalia and Vanuatu). Around 30 per cent lost their jobs and 24 per cent were not able to earn money the same way as before.
The income of 48 per cent of the internally displaced household has fallen when compared with the times before the displacement.
Households headed by women and youth were the worst affected by the displacement.
On an average, children of internally displaced persons were more likely to have experienced interruptions in education than their host counterparts.
Health of around 31 per cent of internally displaced persons worsened following the displacement.
Disaster-related displacement has become more widespread, with more people being displaced in over 130 countries and territories in 2021.
The report provided 5 key pathways to address the consequences of internal displacement. These are:

Strengthening governance institutions
Boosting socio-economic integrations by providing access to jobs and vital services
Restoring security
Enhancing participation
Creating social cohesion

It called on countries to take political, social and economic actions so that internally displaced persons can exercise their full rights as citizens. Renewal of social contracts for such people can ensure their safety and access to basic amenities like healthcare, education, decent jobs and social protection.

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