More people displaced inside theirown countries than ever before
10 May 2019, Geneva – A record 41.3 million people are displaced inside their own countries because ofconflict and violence, according to a new report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) of
the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
The number of people living in internal displacement worldwide as of the end of 2018 is the highest it has
ever been, according to the Global Report on Internal Displacement, launched today at the United
Nations in Geneva. This is an increase of more than a million since the end of 2017 and two-thirds morethan the global number of refugees.
The record figure is the result of years of cyclical and protracted displacement, and high levels of new
displacement between January and December 2018. IDMC recorded 28 million new internal
displacements associated with conflict, generalised violence and disasters in 2018.
Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria, and a rise in intercommunal tensions
in Ethiopia, Cameroon and Nigeria’s Middle Belt region triggered most of the 10.8 million new
displacements linked to conflict and violence. Internally displaced people (IDPs) who tried to return totheir homes in Iraq, Nigeria and Syria during the year found their property destroyed, infrastructuredamaged and basic services non-existent.
“This year’s report is a sad reminder of the recurrence of displacement, and of the severity and urgency
of IDPs’ needs. Many of the same factors that drove people from their homes now prevent them fromreturning or finding solutions in the places they have settled,” said Alexandra Bilak, IDMC’s director.
Extreme weather events were responsible for the majority of the 17.2 million new displacements
associated with disasters in 2018. Tropical cyclones and monsoon floods led to mass displacement in thePhilippines, China and India, mostly in the form of evacuations. California suffered the most destructive
wildfires in its history, which displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
A number of countries were affected by both conflict and disasters. Drought in Afghanistan triggered
more displacement than the country’s armed conflict, and the crisis in north-eastern Nigeria wasaggravated by flooding that affected 80 per cent of the country.
“The findings of this report are a wake-up call to world leaders. Millions of people forced to flee theirhomes last year are being failed by ineffective national governance and insufficient international
diplomacy. Because they haven't crossed a border, they receive pitiful global attention,” said Jan Egeland,
Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “All displaced people have a right to protection andthe international community has a duty to ensure it.”
The report shows that internal displacement is an increasingly urban phenomenon. Warfare in cities suchas Dara’a in Syria, Hodeidah in Yemen and Tripoli in Libya accounted for much of the displacement
recorded in the Middle East in 2018. Urban centres such as Dhaka in Bangladesh are also the preferred
destination for many people fleeing the effects of climate change.

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2Such influxes present great challenges for cities and can aggravate existing risk factors. People who fledfighting in rural areas of Afghanistan and Somalia faced abject poverty, tenure insecurity and onward
displacement from flooding and evictions in Kabul and Mogadishu.
New ways of dealing with the issue are emerging in cities from Medellín in Colombia to Mosul in Iraq,
where local governments and communities have taken the lead.
“The fact that cities have become sanctuary to more and more internally displaced people represents achallenge for municipal authorities, but also an opportunity. Leveraging the positive role that local
government can play in finding solutions to displacement will be key to addressing this challenge in thefuture,” said Alexandra Bilak.

NOTES TO EDITORS: Regional press releases:
Regional press releases detailing more specific displacement within geographical areas are available
for sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, Asia and Middle East and North Africa.

 About IDMC:
The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) is the world's authoritative source of data andanalysis on internal displacement. Since its establishment in 1998, as part of the Norwegian RefugeeCouncil (NRC), IDMC has offered a rigorous, independent and trusted service to the internationalcommunity. Their work informs policy and operational decisions that improve the lives of the millions
of people living in internal displacement, or at risk of becoming displaced in the future.

 For interviews please contact:
Frankie Parrish, Head of Communications, IDMC
Email: frankie.parrish@idmc.ch
Office: + 41 22 552 36 45
Mobile: +41 78 630 16 78
NRC
Email: info@nrc.noMedia hotline: +47 90 56 23 29
Live interviews can be arranged today with Alexandra Bilak, IDMC’s Director and Jan Egeland, NRC’sSecretary General.

 Landing page:
From 10 May, visit www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2019 to read and download thefull report and summary; explore stories of displaced people and access a media pack, containing
global and regional press releases, biographies of spokespeople, photos and b-roll.

 Follow IDMC on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InternalDisplacement
Twitter: @IDMC_Geneva