GENEVA: Conflict and violence drove more people to flee within their own countries last year than natural and manmade disasters for the first time on record, monitors said on Tuesday. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council said in their annual report on the subject that at the end of 2025, 82.2 million people were living in internal displacement worldwide. The figure is just under the highest number ever recorded in 2024. &quot;Numbers remain at historic highs,&quot; the director of the IDMC, Tracy Lucas, told AFP, calling the trends &quot;a wake-up call&quot;. Over the course of last year, 65.8 million new internal displacements were reported, including many people forced to flee multiple times, the report showed. Conflict and violence were responsible for 32.3 million of those displacements -- up 60% from a year earlier -- while 29.9 million fled storms, floods, and other disasters. &quot;Never have we recorded such a staggering number of displacements related to conflict,&quot; said Lucas. &nbsp;&#39;Global collapse&#39;&nbsp;The report detailed how emerging, escalating, and entrenched conflicts in places such as Iran and the Democratic Republic of Congo forced people to flee repeatedly within their countries. Such displacements remain highly concentrated. As they were hit by deepening instability last year, Iran and the DR Congo alone accounted for two-thirds of all new conflict-driven internal displacements, counting around 10 million each, the report said. Of the 69.7 million people who at the end of 2025 were living in internal displacement because of conflicts across 54 countries, nearly half were in just five countries, it said. Civil war-ravaged Sudan counted the most IDPs for a third consecutive year, with over nine million, followed by Colombia, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan. &quot;Internal displacement of tens of millions is a sign of a global collapse in prevention of conflict and basic protection of civilians,&quot; NRC chief Jan Egeland said in a statement. With new wars underway this year, adding to numerous entrenched conflicts around the world, more displacement driven by violence can be expected. &quot;Countless families are returning to destroyed homes and disappearing services -- or cannot return at all,&quot; Egeland said. &quot;From DR Congo and Sudan to Iran and Lebanon, we see millions more displaced on top of the previous record numbers driven out of their homes.&quot; Disaster-driven displacement&nbsp;The monitors, meanwhile, highlighted a 35% drop in disaster-driven displacement compared to the &quot;exceptionally high levels&quot; seen in 2024. But they stressed that last year&#39;s figures remained 13% above the annual average for the past decade. As climate change takes an increasing toll, they pointed out that a number of countries that had previously been less affected recorded large-scale disaster-driven displacements last year, even as previous hotspots remained exposed. Wildfires had, for instance, become an increasingly significant driver of displacement globally, accounting for nearly 700,000 displacements in 2025 alone. The report stressed the need to invest heavily in climate adaptation. The stark numbers come with humanitarian organizations worldwide reeling from foreign aid funding cuts, especially from the United States, which was the world&#39;s top donor. Many of the sweeping cuts are being felt by IDPs, who typically garner less attention than refugees, who have fled into other countries. Another impact has been a dramatic decline in the amount of data being gathered, Tuesday&#39;s report said. &quot;Data availability has declined in 15% of the countries where we monitor,&quot; Lucas said. &quot;Reliable displacement data is critical for understanding where needs and risks are greatest and for ensuring that policies and resources match the scale of the challenge,&quot; she warned.

In the Gaza Strip, 1.7 million Palestinians were internally displaced at the end of 2023 [File: AFP]

Middle East

Americas

Europe

Over the course of last year, 65.8 million new internal displacements were reported, including many people forced to flee multiple times, the report shows.

Conflict created more internal displacement than disasters last year: monitors

PORT SUDAN: Violence in western and southern Sudan displaced more than 10,000 people within three days this week, according to figures released by the United Nations&#39; migration agency on Sunday. Since April 2023, Sudan&#39;s regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have waged what the UN has called a &quot;war of atrocities,&quot; killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting more than 11 million. Between December 25 and 26, attacks on the villages of Um Baru and Kernoi near Sudan&#39;s western border with Chad displaced more than 7,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration. After its takeover of the North Darfur capital of El-Fasher in October, the RSF has pushed westward in recent days, through enclaves inhabited by the Zaghawa ethnic group and controlled by an army-allied militia. On Friday, two Chadian soldiers were killed by an RSF drone that hit the border town of Tine, a Chadian military source told AFP. Between Christmas Eve and Friday, a further 3,100 people were displaced from the famine-stricken city of Kadugli in South Kordofan, which has been under siege by paramilitary forces for over a year and a half. Resource-rich Kordofan is currently witnessing the fiercest fighting, as the RSF and its allies seek to recapture Sudan&#39;s central corridor, leading from Darfur back towards the capital Khartoum. The conflict has created the world&#39;s largest hunger and displacement crises. It has also effectively split Sudan in two, with the army controlling the north, east and center while the RSF dominates all five state capitals in Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.

Africa

Sudan's regular army, paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have waged a war what UN has called a "war of atrocities," killing tens of thousands of people and uprooting more than 11 million.

Over 10,000 people displaced in 3 days in Sudan: UN

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Global forced displacement is projected to reach a record 139.3 million people by the end of 2025 across 136 countries, despite a brief mid-year decline, as severe funding cuts threaten humanitarian response and aid agencies warn donor fatigue has become the biggest crisis facing refugees worldwide. UNHCR forecasts that 139.3 million people will be forcibly displaced by year-end, up from 123.2 million at the end of 2024. Mid-year figures showed 117.3 million displaced, a temporary dip of 5.9 million that masked the worsening crisis. Sudan became the world&#39;s largest displacement crisis with 14.3 million refugees and internally displaced people, replacing Syria at 13.5 million, followed by Afghanistan with 10.3 million and Ukraine with 8.8 million. The modest decline masks a deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Up to 11.6 million refugees risk losing UNHCR assistance in 2025, representing one-third of those reached last year. UNHCR&#39;s funding requirements for 2025 are $10.6 billion, yet only 23% have been met by mid-year. UNHCR projects ending 2025 with $3.9 billion available, a decrease of $1.3 billion compared to 2024. High Commissioner Filippo Grandi noted the last time UNHCR had less than $4 billion was in 2015, when forcibly displaced people numbered half today&#39;s total. The consequences The funding crisis has forced brutal choices.&nbsp;The UNHCR reduced its global staffing by 30%, eliminated 3,500 permanent positions, terminated hundreds of temporary roles, and downsized or closed offices worldwide. In South Sudan, 75% of safe spaces for women and girls supported by UNHCR closed, leaving 80,000 refugee women and girls without access to medical care or psychosocial support. In Afghanistan, protection services primarily for women and girls were cut by more than half, while in Lebanon, over 83,000 refugees lost shelter assistance, according to UNHCR. In Uganda, malnutrition rates are soaring in reception centers with limited clean water and food. Education for 230,000 Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh risks suspension, while UNHCR&#39;s entire health programme in Lebanon may shut down by year-end. Nine of the top 20 humanitarian donors announced Official Development Assistance (ODA) cuts by mid-2025, including three of the four largest donors. Germany&#39;s draft 2025 budget proposed a 53% reduction in humanitarian assistance, while the UK government plans to cut foreign assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. UN aid coordination took in $15 billion in 2025 funding, the lowest level in a decade, reaching 25 million fewer people than in 2024. The climate crisis The decrease in displacement figures stems largely from Syrian returns. Nearly one million internally displaced Syrians returned between January and June 2025, reducing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by 13% to 6.5 million, while at least 526,100 Syrians returned from abroad. However, many returns happened under adverse conditions. A UNHCR report released on Nov. 10 revealed a troubling &quot;climate trap&quot;: 75% of displaced people are living in countries with high-to-extreme climate exposure. In early 2025, about 1.2 million refugees tried to return home, but half returned to climate-vulnerable drought and flood zones, risking secondary displacement. The report warns that by 2050, the world&#39;s 15 hottest refugee camps, mainly in the Sahel, will experience 200 days of dangerous heat per year, effectively making them uninhabitable. It remains unclear how sustainable current returns will be as active conflict has abated, but insecurity persists, and basic services remain inadequate. Low and middle-income countries host 73% of the world&#39;s refugees, with 67% staying in neighboring countries and 60% never leaving their own country. Looking ahead to 2026, donors pledged $1.161 billion to UNHCR, slightly above last year&#39;s all-time high and covering almost 18% of projected needs. Yet the percentage of unrestricted funding dropped to 17%, nearly half of what it was in 2023, limiting UNHCR&#39;s capacity to allocate resources where needs are greatest. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said disease outbreaks spiked, millions went without essential food and healthcare, and programmes protecting women and girls were slashed as hundreds of aid organizations shut. Grandi warned that whether the decline in displacement continues or reverses depends largely on achieving peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Ukraine, preventing deterioration in South Sudan, improving return conditions in Afghanistan and Syria, and securing adequate funding to address displacement crises globally.

Photo from the Global Appeal 2025 report (UNHCR)

Asia

UNHCR warns global forced displacement will reach a record 139.3 million by the end of 2025, as conflicts, climate risks, and severe funding cuts deepen humanitarian crises, leaving millions of refugees without protection, aid, and basic services worldwide.

Forced displacement to reach 139M by end-2025, warns UNHCR

NUSEIRAT: Israel issued a final warning Wednesday for people to flee Gaza&#39;s main city, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump&#39;s plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory. Witnesses reported heavy bombardment in Gaza City, as Israel&#39;s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the army was tightening its encirclement of the city. &lsquo;Last opportunity&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;This is the last opportunity for Gaza residents who wish to do so to move south and leave Hamas operatives isolated in Gaza City,&quot; Katz posted on X, warning that those who remained would &quot;be considered terrorists and terrorist supporters&quot;. Katz said the military had seized the Netzarim corridor, linking central Gaza to the western coast, effectively cutting the north of Gaza off from the south. Anyone leaving Gaza City for the south would have to pass through Israeli military checkpoints, he added. The announcement came hours after the military said it was closing the last remaining route for people to travel from southern Gaza to the north. &lsquo;No different&rsquo;&nbsp;In Gaza City, 60-year-old Rabah al-Halabi, sheltering in a tent on the grounds of Al-Shifa Hospital, described relentless explosions. &quot;I will not leave because the situation in Gaza City is no different from the situation in the southern Gaza Strip,&quot; he told AFP by telephone. &quot;All areas are dangerous, the bombing is everywhere, and displacement is terrifying and humiliating,&quot; he said. &quot;We are waiting for death, or perhaps relief from God and for the truce to come.&quot; Hamas said Katz&#39;s comments were &quot;a prelude to the escalation of war crimes being committed by his army&quot;. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Ceasefire at any cost&#39; </h2>The International Committee of the Red Cross said intensified military operations had forced it to temporarily suspend activities in Gaza City. Days earlier, the Doctors Without Borders charity halted its work in the city, where some UN agencies and aid organizations still operate. Meanwhile, Hamas was examining a peace plan proposed by Trump and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas&#39;s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. &lsquo;Two to three days&rsquo;A Palestinian source close to Hamas&#39;s leaders told AFP that &quot;no final decision&quot; had been made and that &quot;the movement will likely need two to three days&quot;. &quot;Hamas wants to amend some of the items such as the disarmament clause and the expulsion of Hamas,&quot; the source said. They added that Hamas wanted &quot;international guarantees&quot; for a full Israeli withdrawal and guarantees Israel would not violate a ceasefire. 46 Palestinians killed&nbsp;Gaza&#39;s civil defense agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 46 Palestinians across the territory on Wednesday, including 36 in Gaza City. Asked about a strike on a school-turned-shelter that the agency said killed eight people, the Israeli military said it had &quot;struck a Hamas terrorist&quot; and that &quot;steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians as much as possible&quot;. Fadel al-Jadba, 26, said he would stay in Gaza City. &lsquo;Exhausted&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;We want a ceasefire at any cost because we are frustrated, exhausted, and find no one in the world standing with us,&quot; he told AFP. Late on Wednesday, the Israeli military claimed in a statement that five projectiles were launched from Gaza into Israel, four of which were intercepted and one of which &quot;fell in an open area&quot;. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Hamas had &quot;about three or four days&quot; to accept his 20-point Gaza plan, later warning the Islamist movement would &quot;pay in hell&quot; if it refused. <h2 style="line-height: 2;">&#39;Two opinions&#39; </h2>A source familiar with the talks in Doha said &quot;two opinions exist within Hamas&quot;. &quot;The first supports unconditional approval, as the priority is a ceasefire under Trump&#39;s guarantees, with mediators ensuring Israel implements the plan,&quot; the source told AFP. &quot;The second has serious reservations regarding key clauses, rejecting disarmament and the expulsion of any Palestinian from Gaza. They favor conditional approval with clarifications reflecting Hamas&#39;s and the resistance factions&#39; demands.&quot; Israel&#39;s war on Gaza has killed at least 66,148 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures that the United Nations considers reliable.

Israel has issued a final warning for Gaza City residents to flee south, tightening its military encirclement as heavy bombardments continued. Meanwhile, Hamas weighs a Trump-backed peace plan. 

Articles tagged with "Displacement"

Conflict created more internal displacement than disasters last year: monitors

Over 10,000 people displaced in 3 days in Sudan: UN

Forced displacement to reach 139M by end-2025, warns UNHCR

Israel issues 'last' warning for Gazans to flee main city