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32.4 million people displaced from homes because of disasters in 2012


May 17, 2013   by Canadian Underwriter


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More than 32 million people worldwide were forced to leave their homes last year because of disasters such as floods, storms and earthquakes, according to a recent report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.

Evacuation

In 2012, of the roughly 32.4 million people displaced from their homes, the majority were in Asia and west and central Africa, according to the IDMC.

In Africa, 8.2 million people were newly displaced, more than four times the number in the previous four years, the group says. Over the past five years, 81% of global displacement has occurred in Asia, its research suggests.

The vast majority (98%) of displacements in 2012 were because of climate and weather-related events, the IDMC says. Flood disasters in India and Nigeria accounted for 41% of all global displacement, according to the group.

Monsoon flooding in India displaced 6.9 million people, while in Nigeria, 6.1 million people were affected, the IDMC says.

“In countries already facing the effects of conflict and food insecurity such as in Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Sudan, we observe a common theme,” Clare Spurrell, chief spokesperson for IDMC noted in a statement.

“Here, vulnerability to disaster triggered by floods is frequently further compounded by hunger, poverty and violence; resulting in a ‘perfect storm’ of risk factors that lead to displacement.”

While most displacement occurred in poorer countries, 1.3 million were displaced in wealthier countries, including the United States, where 900,000 people had to flee their homes in 2012, putting it among the top 10 countries for most displacements, the group notes.

“In the U.S. following Hurricane Sandy, most of those displaced were able to find refuge in adequate temporary shelter while displaced from their own homes,” Spurrell noted.

“Compare this to communities in Haiti, where hundreds of thousands are still living in makeshift tents over three years after the 2010 earthquake mega-disaster, and you see a very different picture.”

Forest fires in the United States were also responsible for displacing people there, the IDMC says.

In three-quarters of the countries included in the report, multiple displacements were reported, the group says. Situations such as those delay recovery efforts and adds to vulnerability to future disasters, it also says.

While the organization says that data on displacement is critical for future disaster preparedness and resilience planning, it notes that current figures are biased, since they only include people who have taken shelter in official evacuation sites or camps.

“We need to know more about those who seek refuge with families and friends, people who are repeatedly displaced by smaller disasters, or those who are stuck in prolonged displacement following a disaster– not just those that make headlines,” Spurrell added.


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