Stateside Shuffles: A Record Breaker Year for Internal Displacements in the US
Mass Displacement of Native Populations Reaches Unprecedented Levels
Riding the wave of conflict, violence, poverty, and—you guessed it—natural disasters, the year 2024 marked a newfound high in internal displacements across the globe, according to a nod from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) based in Geneva. And guess who took home the grand prize? Yup, you nailed it—the US!
In the US, 11 million displacements, a record since 2008, occurred as a result of calamities like Hurricanes Helene and Milton. To be specific about the catastrophes, "displacements" also include evacuations undertaken before the storms hit the shore. Though grim, this figure represents the most displacements within a single nation since recording began. Worldwide, the IDMC's count revealed a staggering 83.4 million internally displaced individuals by year's end— way more than six years ago and up by almost 10% from the previous year.
Approximately 90% of those fleeing sought refuge due to violence and conflicts, with hotspots like the Democratic Republic of Congo, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Sudan being the frontrunners. Notably, many people are forced to seek shelter multiple times because their initial refuge isn't secure or due to another disaster’s arrival. Consequently, both the number of displacements within a single year and the tally of displaced individuals at the year's end are taken into consideration.
The IDMC assessment for the US in 2024 documented 3.2 million displacements in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, but at the year's end, a heartwrenching 2.03 million individuals remained displaced, including nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip. As for the US, 11 million displacements took place, but only 22,000 individuals persisted in displacement at the year's end.
Mother Nature's Wrath: The Pounding Pummeler
All in all, the IDMC reported an astounding 65.8 million new displacements in 2024, with more than two-thirds being a direct result of natural disasters—another record number. It’s worth mentioning that the IDMC specifically focuses on individuals who have remained within their own country, hence referring to the internally displaced. However, considering the bigger picture, many more individuals worldwide face the need to abandon their homes as a result of war, conflicts, or calamities; unfortunately, these individuals aren’t included in this statistic.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) already reported 122.6 million displaced individuals globally at mid-2024, taking into account both internal and external migrations. The head of the IDMC, Alexandra Bilak, addressed a "confluence of conflicts, poverty, and climate change" as the primary culprits behind this unsettling trend, noting that these triggers "hit the most vulnerable the hardest." The knotted web of reasons for displacement can render the complexities of crises even more daunting and aggravate the struggles of those seeking refuge.
The non-governmental organization IDMC was established by the Norwegian Refugee Council back in 1998, and Alexandra Bilak views this year's figures as a "wake-up call for global solidarity." As she rightly puts it, "Every time humanitarian aid is cut, another displaced person loses access to food, medicine, security, and hope." The UN Refugee Council's head, Jan Egeland, adds that the lack of progress in lessening global internal displacement is both a political failure and a moral blot on humanity.
Sources:1. IDMC2. United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)3. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
- The increased focus on environmental science is evident in the IDMC's attribution of natural disasters as the primary cause for an astounding 65.8 million new displacements in 2024, with climate-change being a significant trigger.
- In the political arena, there is an ongoing discussion about drafting community and employment policies that address the issues faced by those internally displaced due to natural disasters, as well as those displaced due to conflict and violence.
- As the number of internally displaced individuals worldwide continues to rise, environmental-science, politics, general-news, crime-and-justice, and employment policy have become intertwined, with the international community seeking solutions to mitigate the effects of climate-change on displacement.
