Global crisis deepens as internal displacement reaches record high of 83.4 mn in 2024: Report

A historic and sobering milestone has been reached in the global displacement crisis. According to the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025, released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the number of people internally displaced within their own countries soared to 83.4 million by the end of 2024—the highest figure ever recorded.

This unprecedented number reflects the compounding impacts of armed conflict, natural disasters and climate change, each contributing to the crisis in increasingly intertwined ways. It marks a doubling of the total figure in just six years highlighting a rapidly worsening global emergency that the report’s authors describe as both a humanitarian and political failure.

Conflict and violence: The leading driver

In 2024, the vast majority of internal displacements were driven by conflict and violence, which were the primary forces uprooting people from their homes. These factors were responsible for close to 90 per cent of all cases, making them the leading contributors to the global surge in internally displaced populations. An estimated 73.5 million people were forced to flee their homes due to armed violence, ethnic strife, civil war or other forms of conflict—a staggering 80 per cent increase since 2018.

The report singles out Sudan, currently engulfed in a devastating civil war, as the country with the highest number of IDPs in the world. At the end of 2024, 11.6 million people remained displaced within Sudan’s borders, the highest figure ever recorded in a single country. The conflict has led to the collapse of basic services and overwhelmed humanitarian efforts, creating a massive crisis that shows little sign of resolution.

In the Gaza Strip, nearly two million people—essentially the territory’s entire population—were internally displaced by the end of 2024. This figure predates the renewed escalation of violence that erupted after a temporary ceasefire ended on March 18, 2025. With Israel resuming its military operations in Gaza, new waves of displacement have since taken place, compounding the humanitarian crisis.

At least ten countries had more than three million conflict-displaced individuals by the end of 2024, double the number from just four years ago. Other heavily impacted nations include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Myanmar, all grappling with protracted conflicts and fragile governance structures.

Disasters and climate: Accelerating displacement

While armed conflict remains the leading cause of displacement, the role of climate-related disasters is growing rapidly. In 2024, disasters triggered 45.8 million new internal displacements marking the highest annual figure ever recorded since the IDMC began monitoring in 2008.

This total represents more than double the annual average of the past decade, and significantly more than the 20.1 million displacements caused by conflict in the same year.

Weather-related events—especially those intensified by climate change—were responsible for 99.5 per cent of disaster-related displacements in 2024. These include:

Cyclones and Hurricanes: Hurricanes Helene and Milton were particularly destructive in the United States, leading to 11 million internal displacements—nearly a quarter of the global total for disaster-related movement.

Floods: Flooding was the second-most common cause of disaster displacement, responsible for 42 per cent of such movements. Countries like Chad, Afghanistan, Brazil, the Philippines and regions across Europe all experienced severe flood events that displaced millions.

Typhoons: In East Asia, Typhoon Yagi alone triggered mass evacuations and displacement across several nations.

Although some displacements were pre-emptive evacuations—used as a life-saving measure in high-risk areas—the report warns that many of these individuals remain displaced for prolonged periods due to inadequate recovery planning and insufficient support systems. A total of 53 countries and territories reported using pre-emptive evacuations in 2024, though the actual number is likely higher given incomplete data.

Overlapping crises: Conflict and climate intertwined

An increasingly concerning trend is the convergence of conflict and disaster-driven displacement in the same countries. Since 2009, the number of nations experiencing both has tripled. In these areas, overlapping crises not only erode resilience but also strain already limited governmental resources.

According to the report, over three-quarters of people displaced by conflict in 2024 were living in countries deemed highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change. This intersectionality exacerbates the difficulty of recovery, stretches the capacity of humanitarian response systems, and heightens the likelihood of secondary or repeated displacements.

The situation is particularly dire in fragile states and regions with limited governance, where people are often forced to flee multiple times throughout the year due to shifting frontlines, repeated flooding or ongoing natural disasters.

Humanitarian response under pressure

The alarming rise in internal displacement comes at a time when humanitarian organisations are under immense financial strain, especially following the return of US President Donald Trump to office in January 2025. One of his administration’s first actions was to freeze most U.S. foreign aid funding, significantly reducing global support for displaced populations.

The NRC and other humanitarian groups warn that these funding cuts have immediate and devastating consequences for millions of IDPs, who already receive less international attention than refugees—those who cross national borders.

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said that every time humanitarian funding was cut, another displaced person lost access to food, medicine, safety, and hope. He added that the lack of progress was both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity.

Egeland urged the global community to treat internal displacement not just as a humanitarian issue, but also as a development and political challenge that requires sustained leadership, accountability and investment.

A call for global solidarity and action

The report concludes with a strong call to action. Both Alexandra Bilak, Director of IDMC and Egeland stress that the data must not be ignored. Without a substantial shift in political will, policy innovation and financial investment, the number of displaced people will continue to rise—along with human suffering.

“The cost of inaction is rising, and displaced people are paying the price,” Bilak told Le Monde.. “We now have the data and the tools. It’s time to use them—to prevent displacement where possible, support recovery when it happens, and invest in building the resilience of communities at risk.”

Bilak emphasised the need for long-term solutions to displacement, which include addressing the root causes of conflict and poverty, adapting to climate risks and ensuring displaced people are included in national development plans.

The record-breaking figures outlined in the Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025 paint a stark picture of a world in crisis. With over 83 million people displaced within their own countries, the need for global solidarity, strategic action and durable solutions has never been more urgent.

Unless the international community responds decisively, the burden of displacement will continue to fall disproportionately on the world’s most vulnerable—eroding lives, livelihoods, and the hope for a more stable and equitable future.