According to a recent report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, a staggering 75.9 million people were displaced within their countries in 2023 due to conflicts and natural disasters. This marks a significant increase of 50% over the past five years and a doubling over the past decade. The report does not include refugees who have fled to other countries.
The data revealed that the majority of internal displacement was driven by violence in regions such as Sudan, Congo, and the Middle East, accounting for two-thirds of the new movement. Conflict and violence were responsible for almost 90% of the total displacement, while natural disasters contributed to around 10%.
One of the most alarming findings was the record-breaking displacement of over 9 million people in Sudan by the end of 2023, a significant increase from the previous year. The conflict in Sudan escalated in April 2023, leading to widespread displacement as tensions between military leaders and rival forces intensified.
Another notable case was the displacement of 3.4 million people within Gaza in the last quarter of 2023, following the Israeli military response to attacks in Israel. This resulted in a high number of movements within the territory, with 1.7 million people remaining displaced by the end of the year.
The report highlighted that the figures represent only a fraction of the total displacement caused by ongoing conflicts, violence, and disasters. With millions of people forced to flee their homes in 2023 alone, the situation underscores the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and long-term solutions to address internal displacement.
These findings shed light on the complex impact of conflict, climate change, and other factors on human movement. While the U.N. refugee agency focuses on displacement across borders, the U.N. migration agency tracks all movements of people, including those driven by economic or lifestyle reasons.
