UNHCR Looks at the Internally Displaced
The UNHCR is looking at the plight of the Internally Displaced Person and how to best deal with this unique population.
Like refugees, they are hapless civilians often caught up in an endless round of civil conflict or persecution. There are an estimated 25 million of them around the world and they are sometimes known by the clumsy bureaucratic acronym of “IDP” – an Internally Displaced Person. What is the difference? When a fleeing civilian crosses an international frontier, he or she becomes a refugee and as such receives international protection and help. If a person in similar circumstances is displaced within his or her home country and becomes internally displaced person then assistance and protection is much more problematic. UNHCR currently helps over 12.8 million of those internally displaced, and a lively international debate is underway on how to more effectively help this group.
Below is a list of Internally Displaced populations that currently receive aid from the UNHCR. Most IDPs are not under the jurisdiction of the UNHCR even though they have been driven from their homeland by war, conflict or other life threatening conditions. Essentially they are just like refugees but have not crossed into another internationally recognized country
Colombia 3,000,000
Iraq 1,834,400
Uganda 1,586,200
Sudan 1,325,200
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 1,075,300
Côte d’Ivoire 709,200
Azerbaijan 686,600
Sri Lanka 469,200
Somalia 400,000
Georgia 246,000
Serbia 227,600
Lebanon 200,000
Russian Federation 158,900
Timor-Leste 155,200
Central African Rep. 147,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina 135,500
Afghanistan 129,300
Chad 112,700
Nepal 100,000
Myanmar 58,500
Montenegro 16,200
Burundi 13,900
Croatia 4,000
Congo 3,500
When populations cross international country lines in an effort to save their lives they are generally given food, water and shelter. International law requires basic humane treatment. When people flee within their own state, the same safeguards don’t apply. The UNHCR is working hard to figure out how to best serve this population. For more information go HERE.
internally displaced persons, refugees, unhcr, angelina jolie
November 3rd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
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