As 2024 draws to a close, one thing is clear: it has been another extremely challenging year for millions of internally displaced people (IDPs), and solutions to displacement are as challenging as ever. Conflicts in Sudan, Palestine, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, coupled with catastrophic floods in South Asia and the Horn of Africa, have forced countless families from their homes. Many fled more than once, some time and again with little rest between. 

The growing trend of internal displacement underlines the relevance and urgency of our mission: to provide strong data and analysis that inform policies and actions to address this crisis.  

This year, our work revealed alarming trends but also offered a foundation for progress. Here are seven key insights from 2024.

Background image: A group of rescue workers navigate a flooded street to evacuate residents in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Widespread flooding caused by heavy rains triggered around 775,000 internal displacements, making it the country’s largest disaster displacement event. © Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images

With 35 million internally displaced people, Africa remains the continent most affected by displacement, hosting nearly half of the global total and three times more than it did in 2009.

Despite the daunting scale of the displacement crisis, progress is possible. Since the adoption of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, known as the Kampala Convention, 15 years ago, many countries have developed legal and policy frameworks to address internal displacement. Our regional report, Internal Displacement in Africa: An Overview of Trends and Developments (2009-2023), highlighted both challenges and successes. By showcasing what works, we hope to inspire renewed commitment and investment in solutions for the continent experiencing most displacement.   

Background image: A woman holds her child while standing in a burned-out area in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique. This year, new violence sparked a surge in internal displacement in the province. © Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images 

Since we started collecting disaster displacement data in 2008, IDMC has reported 359 million internal displacements due to weather-related hazards, an average of 22.4 million per year. In 2023, the Horn of Africa and Asia recorded the highest numbers of disaster displacements. 

We used data from the Horn of Africa to develop a new model for forecasting displacement risks. It indicates that, on average, 1.9 million people could be displaced annually by floods and droughts, under current climate conditions, in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan. Without measures to mitigate climate change, this number could double under a pessimistic scenario. 

As climate change is making extreme weather events that trigger displacement more frequent and intense, forecasting models like ours offer critical insights for policymakers, helping governments reduce displacement risks and mitigate its impacts. 

Background image: A man and boy wade through floodwaters in Beledweyne, Hirshabelle State, Somalia, after the Shabelle River broke its banks in May 2023. © IOM 2023/Claudia Rosel

Our displacement severity assessments continue to reveal the specific vulnerabilities of displaced communities. Compared to non-displaced populations, displaced communities experience disproportionately high levels of food insecurity, inadequate housing, and lack of access to stable income. 

Analysing the scale and drivers of displacement is not enough to inform solutions. Understanding nuances of these challenges is critical to designing targeted interventions that address the root causes of displacement and help displaced people rebuild their lives.

Background image: Young boys play football in a camp for internally displaced people in Batangafo, Central African Republic. © OCHA/Adrienne Surprenant   

As we conclude 2024, the record-high number of people living in internal displacement highlights the complexity of the challenge, but also the urgency for action.

Over the past two years, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement rallied governments and the international community to make progress. In several countries, governments have stepped up and taken the lead in breaking the displacement cycle.

As his mandate comes to an end, it is up to all of us to maintain the momentum. We know the best decisions are made on the best data, and we will continue to do our part to provide high-quality data, analysis and expertise on internal displacement. In 2025, that will include stepped up efforts to support improved coordination and harmonisation of displacement data through our work with the UN’s Complex Risk Analytics Fund (CRAF’d) and our data partners.

Solutions are possible. Together, we can ensure that displaced people everywhere have the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Background image: Children at the Kabarto Camp for internally displaced people, Dohuk Governorate, Iraq. The government launched a national plan to resolve protracted displacement, but many IDPs still lack basic services and livelihood opportunities. © IOM/Sarah Gold