Global internal displacement crisis grew in 2007 - survey
GENEVA, 17 April 2008 – The global internal displacement crisis continued
to worsen in 2007, according to an annual survey released today by the
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre of the Norwegian Refugee Council
(NRC). In 2007, the estimated number of people displaced within their
countries by armed conflicts and violence passed the 26 million mark, the
highest global total since the early 1990s.
Although international attention to the plight of internally displaced
people (IDPs) continued to grow, there was no breakthrough in reducing
their number or measurably improving their situation. Displacement, in the
words of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, remained “arguably the most
significant humanitarian challenge that we face”.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said the latest survey
made sober reading and highlighted the need for international solidarity
in tackling the continuing problem of internal displacement. “The world is
currently facing a range of new threats and challenges, from instability
sparked by rising food and fuel prices to the inability or unwillingness
of some governments to provide their own uprooted people with adequate
protection and assistance. This survey illustrates the scope of the
problem and should be a call to action for all of us in the international
community.”
IDPs in over 50 countries, and particularly the women and children among
them, were too frequently victims of the gravest human rights abuses. They
faced continuing attacks as well as hunger, disease and the effects of
inadequate shelter. “Despite being responsible for the wellbeing of
citizens within their territory, many national governments in 2007 were
still unwilling or unable to prevent people being forced from their homes,
or provide adequate protection and assistance to those who had been
displaced,” said NRC Secretary-General Elisabeth Rasmusson.
People fled their homes in 2007 mainly to escape long-standing internal
conflicts. The numbers of IDPs rose sharply in Iraq (where there were
almost 2.5 million IDPs by the end of 2007), the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (1.4 million IDPs) and Somalia (1 million), while the massive
internally displaced populations of Sudan (5.8 million) and Colombia (up
to 4 million) continued to grow.
At the same time, millions of people continued to endure protracted
situations of internal displacement with few prospects of returning home
or resettling elsewhere, even in countries where conflict had ended and
rebuilding had begun. Often they continued to face violence in their areas
of origin, for example where the demobilisation of former combatants had
not been effectively completed.
“The challenges and obstacles to providing assistance and protection are
numerous, and we have yet to address them coherently through diplomatic
engagement, humanitarian assistance and development programmes,” Rasmusson
said. “Our knowledge of, interest in and response to people trapped in
protracted displacement situations is far from impressive.”
***
The Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, established by
the Norwegian Refugee Council, is the leading international body
monitoring internal displacement worldwide.
The report Internal Displacement: Global Overview of Trends and
Developments in 2007 is available at the IDMC website
http://www.internal-displacement.org.
For more information contact Edmund Jennings, NRC Internal Displacement
Monitoring Centre, Geneva. Tel. (41) 22 799 0718; mobile (41) 79 8171 748.
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