Surging internal displacement imperils development, UN warns

The number of internally displaced people has been climbing higher and higher recently, becoming a serious burden for the development aid sector, the report Towards Development Solutions to Internal Displacement: A Political Economy Approach issued by the UN Development Programme has warned.

In 2020, internal displacements hit a historic record with 40.5 million people in 149 countries and territories being displaced in one year alone mainly due to conflicts, natural hazards, or technological disasters. While 25 years ago there were around 27 million internally displaced people, in 2020, and despite the movement restrictions introduced in many countries due to COVID-19, this figure totaled 55 million. Furthermore, the duration of internal displacements has on average extended to 17 years.

“The record number of people internally displaced and the length of their displacement show that there needs to be a greater emphasis on inclusion, resilience, and finding longer-term solutions,” an author of the report, Professor Laura Hammond, said.

The report’s authors note that internal displacements generate high direct costs in terms of the housing, healthcare, education, and security provided to internally displaced people. In 2020 this expenditure amounted to US$20.5 billion. The average cost per each internally displaced individual in 2020 was US$370 although this figure differed depending on the country (i.e., US$109 in Afghanistan and US$830 in Syria). However, this amount does not cover the long-term impact of internal displacements on the economy, the host communities, or the communities of origin.

The extent of displacements is often increased by a lack of political will to address the issue and insufficient financial resources to solve the problem, the report highlighted. Despite the fact that the level of Official Development Aid raised globally grew by 3.5% last year, this was consumed by the ongoing pandemic.

The report put forward a set of recommendations that aim to react to displacement crises more effectively and suggests that organizations and actors dealing with displacements should:

• Predict and create solutions before displacement occurs
• Seek out development-oriented allies among civil society, government, donors, UN systems, the private sector, and the community
• Promote data systems that can gather information on displacements
• Make development policies more “mobility friendly” for displaced communities
• Adjust the pace of work to the needs and interests of particular areas of displacements as they occur
• Work closely with communities and stakeholders in displacement areas so they may participate in the process
• Communicate what the benefits of the solutions proposed are to encourage stakeholders to participate
• Cooperate with other actors and organizations to address displacements
• Use political and economic analysis in cooperation with UN agencies as a basis for operational processes