Publication
14 October 2022
Assessing the severity of displacement situations: data gaps and ways forward
Internally displaced people (IDPs) account for more than half of the world’s forcibly displaced population, but there is relatively little information on the conditions they face.
Our assessments are intended to go beyond the numbers to better understand the severity of internal displacement. We have started to fill this knowledge gap, calling attention to situations of particular concern, highlighting some of the main threats to IDPs’ safety and wellbeing and helping to measure their progress in achieving durable solutions.
A revised methodology in this report was designed to improve the reliability, comparability and validity of our previous assessments. Despite improvements, significant data gaps remain. Given the absence of reliable data on standardised global-level indicators, the exercise remains predominantly qualitative, drawing upon a combination of our expertise and rigorous desk research. This stocktaking report outlines possible ways forward to overcome the challenge of data scarcity.
