May 31, 2016 FEATURE STORY
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New Long-Term Support for Displaced Populations in Africa
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Around 25% of the 60 million forcibly displaced people across the globe are in Africa, where some countries have hosted large refugee populations for over 20 years
The World Bank and its partners are providing long term, sustainable development solutions to help address this issue
New support is arriving in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region of Africa, home to more than 12.9 million displaced people
A fact that hasn't been grabbing international headlines lately: Africa is home to about 18 million forcibly displaced people, more than one-fourth of the total worldwide.
The majority of forced displacement movements in Africa happen within its territory, forcing the continent to shoulder a large burden – hosting nearly 20% of the world’s refugees and 30% of the world’s Internally Displaced Persons. Displaced people consist of Refugees, who cross international borders, and Internally Displaced Persons, who are displaced from one region of a country to another. Some African countries have hosted large displaced populations for over 20 years.
Countries in the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes Region, and elsewhere in Africa have been taking the initiative to help the displaced and their host communities. With a steady increase in conflicts that spill over borders, managing this challenge with a coordinated regional approach is critical for Africa’s future growth and development.
The tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis has also underscored the importance of addressing protracted forced displacement, not only as a humanitarian emergency, but as a significant development challenge.
With displacement continuing for years, affecting the ability of generations to access opportunities, it’s clear that camps aren’t the answer in the long term.
“We are focusing on the long-term impacts of displacement in Africa,” said Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez, Senior Director for the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice. “When displacement is protracted, long-term needs like jobs, access to land, and to basic services, education, and social inclusion become critical. No one wants to see forced displacement happen, but when it does, we need an approach that creates a positive, inclusive environment, and not one that views the displaced people as a burden.”.
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