GRID-2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Issues)

Context: According to the recently released Global Report on Internal Displacement 2024 (GRID-2024), the number of internally displaced people surged to 75.9 million in 2023, up from 71.1 million the previous year.

Global Report on Internal Displacement 2024

• About: It is an annual publication by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) based in Geneva.

o Each year, the report outlines the most significant internal displacement situations worldwide.

o Internal Displacement: It refers to people forced from homes but remain within their country.

• Causes: Conflict, violence, and development projects displace millions yearly.
• Characteristics: Displaced individuals face insecurity, lack of shelter, and uncertain futures.

Highlights of the Report

• IDP Increase: The number of internally displaced people (IDP) surged to 75.9 million in 2023, up from 71.1 million the previous year.
• Displacement Causes: 7.7 million individuals were displaced by disasters, with earthquakes accounting for one-fourth of this figure, while 68.3 million were displaced due to conflict and violence.
• Top Hosts: Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Colombia, and Yemen collectively shelter nearly half of the world’s IDPs.

o Sudan’s Predicament: Sudan leads with 1 million IDPs, marking the highest number for a single country.

• Hotspots of Displacement: Sudan, the Palestinian territories, and the Democratic Republic of Congo experienced the bulk of new displacement in 2023, constituting almost two-thirds of the total.
• South Asia: Around 3 million individuals in South Asia lived in internal displacement due to conflict and violence by the end of 2023, with Afghanistan hosting 80 percent of them.
• Conflict Triggers: South Asia saw 69,000 displacements triggered by conflict and violence in 2023, with Manipur alone accounting for 67,000, marking the highest since 2018 for India.
• Natural Disaster Decline: India witnessed a significant drop in natural disaster-induced internal displacements, with figures decreasing from 2.5 million in 2022 to 528,000 in 2023.