Record numbers of people displaced in their own countries in a 'world falling apart'
>>Emma Farge, Reuters
Published: 19 May 2022 06:50 PM BdST Updated: 19 May 2022 06:50 PM BdST
-
Internally displaced Ethiopians queue to receive food aid in the Higlo camp for people displaced by drought in the town of Gode, Somali Region, Ethiopia, Apr 26, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri
In a world beset by conflicts and natural disasters, the number of people who fled their homes and sought shelter within their own countries hit a record high of close to 60 million by the end of last year, according to new data.
Disasters, including weather events such as cyclones and floods in Asia as well as protracted conflicts in places like Syria, Afghanistan and Ethiopia were factors behind high levels of new displacements last year, according to the report compiled by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
"The world is falling apart, too many countries are falling apart," said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council which set up the IDMC in 1998 to document displaced people whom he said would otherwise be "unseen".
"2021 was, as we documented here, a very bleak year and 2022 is proving to become even worse," he said, adding that the war in Ukraine would lead to a new record this year.
In total, 59.1 million people were living in displaced conditions at the end of last year compared with 55 million people in 2020, the annual report showed. The countries with the highest numbers of displaced people were Syria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Afghanistan and Yemen, it said.
The report does not count refugees - people fleeing to other countries - although there is often a correlation between internal and cross-border trends.
"It's a damning indictment of the world's lack of ability for conflict prevention and conflict resolution," Egeland told journalists this week.
He said he was "nervous" about the Ukraine crisis diverting aid funds from other locations, saying some countries were using their aid budgets to help Ukrainian refugees.
"That means that it will go down, the money we have for the rest of the world," he said. The Ukraine war is also increasing the cost of aid for the displaced because it has driven up food and fuel prices, he said.
-
At least 30 Nigerian soldiers killed in ambush
-
Zelensky adviser concedes key bastion could fall
-
US sending Ukraine surface-to-air missile systems
-
Blasts rock Ukraine southern city
-
Taliban gathering ends with calls for recognition
-
Australia part of Asia: minister
-
China to loosen entry restrictions on US citizens
-
Dozens of Russian arms tycoons have faced no Western sanctions
-
Australia's southeast braces for floods
-
North Korea says US-South Korea-Japan agreement materialises US plan for 'Asian NATO'
-
Ukraine hits Russian base in occupied Melitopol, exiled mayor says
-
Second Russian scientist from Siberian city detained on treason charges
-
Lukashenko says Belarus intercepted attempted missile strikes by Ukraine
-
Hezbollah sends drones toward Israeli gas rig in disputed waters
Most Read
- Nigerian Islamic court orders death by stoning for men convicted of homosexuality
- Bangladesh is gearing up to open its first river tunnel by the end of 2022
- Bangladesh to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on Jul 10
- Drastic fall in passenger numbers forces owners to cut Dhaka-Barishal launch fares
- Daylong chaos as expressway tolling slows traffic
- Dalela may replace Doraiswami as Indian envoy to Bangladesh: report
- BTRC blocks Grameenphone from selling new connections for poor service
- Amin Hilaly, a real estate businessman named in NSU graft case, goes 'missing’: family
- Ashulia school suspends girl for hanging out with teacher murder suspect
- Teacher Utpal was the bedrock of his family. His murder leaves them staring into an abyss