Asia and the Pacific Accounted for 80% of Displacements Due to Extreme Weather Events Linked to Climate Change
The year 2022 was marked by a record number of people who were forced to flee their homes within their own countries due to conflicts and natural disasters. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), there were 71.1 million internally displaced people (IDPs) worldwide at the end of 2022, a 20% increase from the previous year. This is the highest figure ever recorded and reflects the growing impact of geopolitical tensions, internal strife and climate change on vulnerable populations.
The main driver of internal displacement in 2022 was conflict and violence, which triggered 28.3 million new displacements across 69 countries. This is nearly double the number of displacements caused by conflict in 2021 and three times higher than the annual average over the past decade. The most affected region was sub-Saharan Africa, where 11.6 million people were displaced by conflict, mainly in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, Somalia and the Central African Republic (CAR). However, the single largest displacement crisis was in Ukraine, where Russia's war led to 17 million new and repeated displacements in 2022.
Natural disasters also contributed to the global rise of internal displacement in 2022, causing 32.6 million new displacements in 149 countries. This is a 60% increase from 2021 and reflects the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events linked to climate change. The most affected regions were Asia and the Pacific, which together accounted for about 80% of disaster displacements in 2022. The most affected countries were China, the Philippines and India, which faced tropical cyclones, monsoon rains and floods that hit highly exposed areas that are home to millions of people. Pakistan also experienced a massive flood disaster that displaced eight million people in July 2022.
The report by IDMC and NRC warns that internal displacement is not only a humanitarian challenge but also a development and security issue that requires long-term solutions. Many IDPs face multiple risks and vulnerabilities, such as poverty, discrimination, violence, exploitation and human rights violations. They also have limited access to basic services, livelihoods, education and health care. Moreover, internal displacement can fuel further instability and conflict by increasing competition for scarce resources, exacerbating social tensions and creating grievances among displaced and host communities.
The report calls for more political will and investment to prevent, reduce and resolve internal displacement, as well as to support durable solutions for IDPs. It also urges for more data collection and analysis on the causes, patterns and impacts of internal displacement, especially on children and youth who make up more than half of the IDP population. Finally, it highlights the need for more international cooperation and solidarity to address the global crisis of internal displacement, which affects not only millions of individuals but also the peace, security and development of nations and regions.