At this time last year, over 7.1 million people had been internally displaced in Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion, and over 4.5 million had migrated to
neighboring countries, according to the a report issued by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In 2021, the number of displaced people around the world was higher than any time since World War II. This number is expected to rise in the coming years.
Displacement also looks different than it did decades ago. Displaced people are no longer housed in camps, for the most part, people are instead scattered
across urban environments. The average period of displacement has risen to 17 years, which contributes to the rising number of displaced people.
These statistics highlight some of the complexities surrounding the topic of displacement. Layering a disaster event on top of these complexities makes for
challenging service delivery. With the displacement tally rising, especially in states that may require assistance, disaster responders must consider the
implications of this topic.
To effectively plan for future disasters it is necessary to reexamine the planning assumptions and service delivery approaches currently in use to confirm
their continuing relevance or the need for change.
Displaced and mobile populations that need consideration during a disaster include:
Internally displaced people (IDPs) displaced by the disaster
Existing populations of IDPs and/or refugees displaced by conflict or previous disasters
Migrant populations in many countries are considered outside the system, and therefore especially vulnerable as well as untracked.
One of the most effective tools of disaster preparedness programming is the reduction of risk. The drivers of displacement, such as conflict, economics, and
climate change, are mitigated primarily by development investments, rather than by disaster preparedness and response. Disaster management institutions
must, therefore, recognize that the concerns around displaced and mobile populations will continue to grow, yet cannot be reduced by their efforts alone.
That said, there is much that disaster workers can do to ensure that disaster responses do not contribute to the displacement, and are always working
explicitly towards effective recovery efforts.
Readings
Research on current trends in displacement and mobility, including their overlap with disaster assistance:
Read Global Report on Internal Displacement
Bennett, K.et al. (2020). 2020 Global Report on Internal Displacement
https://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2020/
Read Report – disaster displacement
United States – White House (2021) Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
Read Article: The New Humanitarian Interview with Aung Kyaw Moe
Root, Rebecca L. (2022) Why aid groups, and Rohingya themselves, should stop using the term ‘stateless’
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/interview/2022/11/10/Rohingya-Coxs-Bazar-Myanmar-citizenship-stateless
Please respond to the following questions with at least three paragraphs per response:
To reduce disaster vulnerability of mobile populations is complex. Much of what is needed lies outside the scope of traditional disaster management. Yet to
ignore this complexity is to exacerbate these vulnerabilities, creating future risk. How can disaster workers better engage on this topic?
All disaster managers know that preparedness and mitigation are better options than response after a disaster strikes. What does this mean for the issue of
mobile populations?