The invisible millions: the world’s forgotten populations
Today, more than 40 million people fleeing violence, conflict and disaster remain within their own borders worldwide, a fact rarely discussed in the media. Christian Aid’s Melanie Hargreaves explains why, this Refugee Week (19–25 June), we are speaking out about the world’s “invisible refugees”.
In the past year, a staggering 922,000 people fled their homes within the Democratic Republic of Congo due to violence and conflict — more than those displaced within Syria.
Priest Celestin Kirongozi fled his home when rebels attacked his village in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He walked over 300km to seek safety, carrying his small amount of luggage on his head. During his travels, he witnessed the murders of nine fellow priests at the hands of rebel militia.
Thankfully, he survived.
Where did he flee to? Neighbouring Rwanda? Burundi? Tanzania? No — despite the vast distance of the harrowing three-week journey, Celestin remained in his own country.
Today, he lives in Shabunda, South Kivu in the DRC, an area once famed for its abundance of palm oil and gold, but now abandoned and isolated following years of brutal conflict, its residents left with nothing.
Terrifyingly, Celestin’s story isn’t uncommon
Indeed, there were more than 920,000 people forced from their homes in the DRC last year as a result of violence and conflict. That’s more than those internally displaced within Syria.
With the front pages of the UK papers emblazoned with photos of refugees, headlines screaming about people ‘flooding’ into the UK, you’d be forgiven for believing that the majority of displaced people are crossing borders. In reality, the number of people fleeing their homelands to make it to the shores of the Europe is a very small minority — in fact, just four per cent of refugees in 2015.
What many people don’t realise is that, whilst we’re led to believe that victims of conflict, violence and disaster are crossing international borders, the majority remain within their own countries.
Today:
• 65.3 million people have been forced from their homes
• 40.3 million remain displaced within their own borders.
In 2016 alone:
• 31.1 million people were displaced within their own countries — that’s one every second
• 6.9 million displacements were caused by conflict
• 2.6 million in Sub-Saharan Africa — home to the DRC.
Political instability in the DRC has caused long-standing community tensions and clashes between armed groups, particularly in North and South Kivu, on the border of Rwanda. The area is home to 55 per cent of the country’s displaced population.
The ongoing violence in the DRC is sadly well known. Looting, extortion and violence by armed militia is common, as well as kidnapping of civilians. And little has been done to stem the violence, nor respect the human rights of internally displaced people (IDPs), like Celestin, whose lives have been shattered.
As a result of the ongoing conflict, roads have deteriorated, leaving communities like Celestin’s to rely on humanitarian teams for supplies and rations. The scale of displacement is so huge, the country’s government just can’t deal with it alone. Yet, international funding is falling as donors become fatigued with the apparent lack of impact after years of conflict.
Meet Celestin
Celestin, who works alongside Christian Aid local partners, has now dedicated his life to helping fellow displaced people, welcoming them in the church and helping them find the humanitarian support they so desperately need.
We are working hard to make sure internally displaced people, like Celestin and his community, are no longer forgotten or ignored.
At the U.N. General Assembly last September, global leaders came together for a Summit for Refugees and Migrants to address the ever increasing numbers of people being forcibly displaced around the world. It was the first time that a high level summit on the issue had been called.
Speaking up for internally displaced people
However, despite this breakthrough moment, there was little mention of the 40 million internally displaced people within their plans, which focus on refugees (displaced people who cross borders) and their host countries.
In the coming months, Christian Aid will be asking the international community and the UK government to take action and recognise the millions of people made homeless within their own borders.
Share this blog to shed light on the real displacement crisis, and sign up to campaign with us to hear more about the campaign.
