the norm, and registration of IDPs is undertaken in most cases by national or local authorities,<sup>68</sup> civil society groups or by individual organizations, particularly UNHCR and IOM, although the World Food Programme (WFP) might keep records of individuals and communities provided with food assistance.

Registration data for IDPs present an incomplete or misleading picture. While registration of IDPs can be helpful in estimating the numbers of IDPs in camp and camp-like settings, such data presents an incomplete picture since in many contexts the majority of IDPs reside in dispersed settings where they are not registered or counted (UNSD 2014). IDPs may deliberately avoid registration activities to avoid drawing attention to themselves due to security concerns and reluctance to provide personal information (especially when the authorities are perceived as contributing to the causes of displacement) or because they are not motivated to register (e.g. registration does not confer a special legal status, no assistance is given or assistance is given in a discriminatory manner) (Brookings 2011). Additionally, IDPs might not be able to physically reach the registration location because of insecurity, medical reasons, limited mobility, distance and cost. When national or international actors provide assistance, there may be an incentive for people to register in camps even if they are staying elsewhere, or to register in multiple locations (Brookings 2011).<sup>69</sup> Furthermore, registration data provide only a snapshot of the stock of IDPs at a particular point in time and may be out of date if registers are not maintained regularly.

Registration methodologies can vary across displacement situations. For example, families may be registered rather than individuals and the population estimated based on an assumption of average family size, which can differ among organizations (UNSD 2014). IDPs may be required to present documentation, meet specific criteria or re-register periodically to maintain their benefits, which affects aggregate numbers (IDMC 2015). For example, in Ukraine, pre-requisites for IDP registration (including valid documentation, arrival from a recognized conflict zone and permanent residence registration in recognized conflict zone) means that people displaced within a non-government controlled area, people displaced from a nonrecognized conflict zone in a government controlled area, unaccompanied children or people without current/valid identification are not counted as IDPs (IDMC 2015). Furthermore, in some contexts, registration as an IDP can expire after a prescribed timeframe without regard to whether the person achieved a durable solution (e.g. after five years in Russia).

The accuracy of IDP registers is greatly impacted by political considerations, particularly a government’s willingness to acknowledge internal displacement and to enable the humanitarian community to respond. Some countries may be reluctant to acknowledge the presence of IDPs, or may be inclined to understate numbers to demonstrate progress in military operations or limit assistance provided to IDPs. For example, in Kenya, registration of individuals displaced by the 2007 and 2008 post-election violence excluded ‘integrated’ IDPs, i.e. those who had sought refuge with host communities or rented accommodation in urban areas, as assistance was limited to registered IDPs. Alternatively, aggregate numbers of IDPs in particular countries may be inflated to suggest a deterioration of the situation or to maximize humanitarian assistance. Therefore, access to IDP areas and the willingness of IDPs to be counted may be largely dependent on government policies. These political considerations can lead to disagreements on the data, undermine cooperation and in some cases even lead to reduced humanitarian funding.

# **_Profiling of IDP situations_**

Profiling of IDP situations is a collaborative process aimed at generating reliable data that can be broadly agreed upon. As a collaborative process, it can be a crucial tool for generating agreement on persistent questions such as who is recognized as internally displaced within a given context, what are the most prevalent vulnerabilities caused by displacement, and how do IDPs fare compared to host populations. In sought refuge with host communities or rented accommodation in urban areas, as assistance was limited to registered IDPs.

> 68 However, in many conflict-affected countries, governments lack the basic capacity to maintain Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems including the registration of births and deaths in non-displacement situations, let alone the registration of IDPs displaced due to natural disasters or conflict.

> 69 IOM has introduced biometric registration systems in South Sudan, Sudan, DRC and Nigeria to circumvent these problems.