Frequently Asked Questions about IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons)

1. How many people are internally displaced?

At least 21.1 million people are internally displaced worldwide, according to USCR's most conservative estimate, contained in the World Refugee Survey 2000. USCR estimates, however, that up to 23.2 million might be displaced.

2. Is the number of internally displaced declining?

No. The number of internally displaced jumped nearly 25 percent during 1999 - a dramatic increase. Four million more people were internally displaced when the year ended than when it began.

3. What countries are producing internally displaced people?

Several statistical facts indicate that the problem is extensive and growing more widespread.

Between 1995 and 1999, for example, the number of countries with significant internal displacement grew from 32 countries to 40. During 1999, the number of countries with a half-million or more displaced jumped from 12 countries to 18.

The problem is greatest in seven countries that are producing half the world's internally displaced: Sudan, Colombia, Angola, Iraq, Bosnia, Burundi, and Congo-Kinshasa. Note that four of these seven countries are in Africa.