83 Million People Displaced Globally Due to Conflicts, Disasters

Displaced people rest in a makeshift camp near Tawila, Darfur, on April 13, 2025, after fleeing the Zamzam camp, which was taken over by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) following intense shelling. The camp housed over 500,000 refugees.

Conflicts, natural disasters, and the escalating effects of climate change displaced tens of millions within their own countries in 2024, setting a new global record, according to a report released on Tuesday.

A staggering 83.4 million people were displaced within their own countries last year—equivalent to the entire population of Germany. This mass displacement was driven by ongoing conflicts in regions like Sudan and Gaza, as well as severe flooding and destructive cyclones.

This figure more than doubles the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) recorded just six years ago, underscoring a worsening global crisis.

"Internal displacement occurs where conflict, poverty, and climate change collide, with the most vulnerable suffering the most," said Alexandra Bilak, chief of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

Conflict Remains the Leading Driver
The report highlighted that nearly 90 percent of the world's IDPs, or 73.5 million people, were displaced by conflict and violence—an 80 percent increase since 2018.

Ten countries reported more than three million IDPs due to conflict and violence by the end of 2024, with Sudan, torn by civil war, housing a staggering 11.6 million displaced individuals, the largest number ever recorded in a single country.

Additionally, around two million people in Gaza were displaced by the end of last year, even before further mass displacements occurred following the escalation of violence after Israel ended a ceasefire in March 2025.

Disasters Displace Millions
Nearly 10 million people were displaced within their own countries by natural disasters in 2024, a number that has more than doubled in the past five years. The report also showed that 65.8 million new internal displacements were recorded in 2024, with many individuals forced to flee multiple times.

Of these new displacements, 20.1 million were driven by conflict, while a record 45.8 million people fled due to disasters.

Climate Change Drives Disaster Displacement
The United States accounted for 11 million disaster-related displacements in 2024, nearly a quarter of the global total. This was largely due to hurricanes, such as Helene and Milton, that forced widespread evacuations.

Weather-related events, many exacerbated by climate change, were responsible for 99.5 percent of last year’s disaster displacements.

An Alarming Trend
The report also revealed that the number of countries reporting both conflict and disaster displacement has tripled over the last 15 years, with more than three-quarters of those displaced by conflict living in countries highly vulnerable to climate change.

The intertwined nature of these drivers complicates displacement crises, often prolonging the suffering of affected populations.

Call for Global Solidarity
In light of these disturbing figures, humanitarian organizations have called for increased global solidarity. Jan Egeland, chief of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), emphasized that cuts to humanitarian funding, such as those enacted by the U.S. government, put millions of displaced people at risk of losing access to essential services like food, medicine, and safety.

"This year's figures should serve as a wake-up call for the world to come together," Egeland said. "Every time humanitarian funding is slashed, another displaced person loses the chance for a better life."

He added, "The lack of progress in addressing global displacement is both a policy failure and a moral stain on humanity."