At least 25 million people internally displaced by end of 2001, says NRC

The newly redesigned Global IDP Database, run by the Norwegian Refugee
Council (NRC), has achieved global coverage of all ongoing situations of
conflict-induced displacement in the world. With a new web design, improved
navigation facilities and new information products, the Database has access
to more than 4000 documents and 240 maps, from over 700 sources. On the
basis of its 47 country profiles, the NRC has produced new analysis of
internal displacement worldwide. For more information, access the Global IDP
Database at www.idpproject.org.

Armed conflict and human rights violations have forced at least 40 million
people around the world to flee their homes - but for the 25 million who
have not crossed an international border and are therefore not recognised as
refugees, their plight is often all the more desperate.

According to new analysis by the Global IDP Database, run by the Norwegian
Refugee Council (NRC), the vast majority of internally displaced persons
(IDPs) are found in Africa, with approximately 4 million people displaced in
both Angola and Sudan, followed by 2 million in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, and a further 3.5 million in the rest of the continent. In the
Americas, Colombia is the worst hit with more than 2 million displaced,
while Indonesia with 1.2 million tops the list in Asia. Turkey, with 1
million IDPs, and Iraq with 700,000, suffer the worst internal displacement
situations in Europe and the Middle East respectively.

While the NRC cites internal conflict and associated human rights abuses as
the main cause of internal displacement, it stresses that regional political
issues and economic interests also play an important role in maintaining a
large number of conflicts, especially in Africa and Europe.

Internally displaced persons are reported to be often more vulnerable than
refugees to direct physical attacks or threats, sexual assault and forced
labour. "A large share of the world's IDPs do not find shelter in organised
camps or protected areas. Myanmar (Burma), Burundi and the Democratic
Republic of Congo are among the worst cases where the only option for most
of the displaced has been to seek refuge in host communities that are
already exhausted by the effects of war, or to hide in the jungle with very
limited access to health services or regular humanitarian assistance. Many
of the displaced are unable to leave the areas where the armed conflicts are
ongoing and are constantly on the run", says the NRC.

The needs of displaced populations are said to be inadequately addressed for
various reasons, including unwillingness or inability on the part of
national governments to tackle the problem, insufficient support from the
donor community, especially in longer-term displacement situations, and
obstacles to humanitarian organisations gaining access to needy
populations - such as in Myanmar, where the military junta is averse to
external assistance. A major constraint to international response is the
lack of a clear operational mandate within the United Nations dealing with
this issue.

Some efforts have been made within the UN to try to improve the level of
protection and assistance to IDPs - including the appointment in 1992 of
Francis M. Deng as the Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally
Displaced Persons; Mr. Deng's creation, six years later, of the 'Guiding
Principles on Internal Displacement' (guidelines rather than binding
international law); and at the beginning of 2002, the establishment within
the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of a small
IDP unit, tasked with providing expertise, training and guidance to
humanitarian agencies working in IDP crises.

The NRC/ Global IDP Project - of which the Database is a component - was
launched in December 1999, and works closely with the UN and NGO community
to raise awareness and improve response to the situation of the millions of
internally displaced around the world.

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