escalated. As of December 2019, the number of internally displaced people is estimated to be more than 2.7 million (IDMC 2020), around 1.3% of the total population (World Bank 2020b), while an additional 300,000 Nigerian refugees are hosted in surrounding countries (UNHCR 2020). The World Bank (2020b) estimates that 39.1% of the population was living on less than $1.90 a day in 2018, while 46.4% were estimated to be poor by the global MPI in the same year (UNDP & OPHI 2020). In Nigeria, 18% of the population resided in households headed by women as of 2018.<sup>9</sup> The UN Women database on gender-based violence shows that over 17% of women and girls are subject to lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, over 43% of girls are subject to child marriage, and the prevalence of female genital mutilation is over 18%.<sup>10</sup> The total number of IDPs in **Somalia** as of December 2019 was more than 2.7 million – roughly 17.5% of the total population (World Bank 2020a), almost all of whom were displaced by natural disasters, conflict and violence (IDMC 2020). In 2020, UNHCR reported that floods and droughts explained about 80% of the internal displacement, while conflict explained 18%.<sup>11</sup> The country has seen nearly three decades of recurrent conflict since the collapse of the government in 1991. Recent years have seen the rise of the terrorist militia al-Shabaab, leading to large-scale displacement in the country. Somalia is heavily dependent on international assistance and humanitarian aid, and economic opportunities for the population are scarce. As a result, and due to the impacts of climate change such as increased flooding and severe droughts, the last decade has observed worsening acute food insecurity and famines that have forced many people to leave their homes. Migration of the rural population, who are dependent on agriculture, land and livestock, has led to rapid urbanization and many informal settlements. As more people are fleeing their homes to find refuge in other parts of the country, genderbased violence has seen an increase, with 99% of survivors being female and 76% of all survivors being internally displaced. The most common forms of violence against women include female genital mutilation – prevalent among 98% of the Somali population – as well as forced marriage, rape, and physical, verbal and emotional abuse, among others (UNFPA Somalia 2019).

**South Sudan** seceded from Sudan in 2011, following more than two decades of civil war that led to widespread economic instability. A political conflict in 2013 sparked the beginning of the armed conflict in Juba, which – following a failed peace treaty in 2015 – has since spread to the northern part of the country, forcing millions to flee their homes. Coupled with continued inter-communal conflict over the years in other parts of the country, the violence in South Sudan was followed by acute food insecurity, which further aggravated displacement as people have fled famine. A renewed peace agreement in 2018 has seen a decrease in violent conflict, however as of December 2019, there were still 1.6 million internally displaced people (IDMC 2020), equal to around 14.4% of the total population (World Bank 2020a). In addition, UNHCR (2020) reports nearly 2.2 million South Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in surrounding countries as of November 2020. According to the most recent monetary poverty estimates for South Sudan from 2009, 44.7% of the population was living on less than $1.90 a day (World Bank 2020b) while in 2010, 91.9% of people were poor by the global MPI (UNDP and OPHI 2020).

**Sudan** has seen violent conflict since its independence in 1956, with two civil wars which have lasted for decades. The War in Darfur erupted in early 2003 between armed groups and

> 9 <u>https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.HOU.FEMA.ZS.</u>

> 10 <u>https://evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/fr/countries/africa/nigeria.</u>

> 11 <u>https://data2.unhcr.org/en/dataviz/1?sv=1&geo=192</u>

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