African displacement tripled to 35 million in 15 years: Report

MOGADISHU, Somalia

The number of people living in internal displacement on the African continent has tripled to 35 million in 15 years, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) said in a report Tuesday.

The group said rising levels of conflict and violence have driven most displacement in Africa from 2009 - 2023, and the number of people forced to flee disasters is also rising rapidly.

It said 32.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) were displaced by conflict and violence, and 80% are concentrated in five countries: Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan.

The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, known as the Kampala Convention, which was signed in 2009, put Africa at the forefront of progress in addressing internal displacement.

Alexandra Bilak, IDMC director said the situation in Africa is “absolutely critical, but not hopeless,”.

“There are many good examples on the continent of governments working to address its root causes. It’s important for them to keep ownership of this issue and the international community to support their efforts”, she said.

The report by the IDMC which is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said African displacement disrupts the lives, livelihoods, cultural identity and social ties of entire communities, making them more vulnerable to negative effects from a wide range of challenges.

IDMC urged governments to redouble their commitments to addressing displacement’s underlying drivers through peace-building, climate action and sustainable development.