OCHA on Message: Internal Displacement [EN/AR]

What is Internal Displacement?

When people have to leave their homes but remain within their own country, they are known as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The key characteristics of internal displacement are its coercive or otherwise involuntary nature and the fact that displaced persons do not cross an internationally recognized border. Internal displacement may be caused by armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights, or natural or human -made disasters.

Unlike refugees, who have fled across a border and are therefore no longer under the protection of their country of origin, primary responsibility for protection and assistance to IDPs and all persons within their own country remains with the national authorities of that country.