Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Internally Displaced People (Idps) Increasing numbers of people are being displaced within their own countries due to armed conflict, generalized violence and human rights violations An estimated 41.3 million people were internally displaced due to armed conflict, generalized violence, or human rights violations at the end of 2018, according to estimates from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). This is an increase on the 40.0 million reported in 2017. The small declines of the previous years were reversed and the internally displaced population in 2018 was the largest ever reported by IDMC.45 Since the inter-agency cluster approach was introduced in January 2006, IDP statistics have been collected jointly by UNHCR and cluster members.46 The total reported by UNHCR offices stood at 41.4 million at the end of 2018, including those in IDP-like situations, compared with 39.1 million at the end of 2017 [Figure 14]. In 2018, 31 UNHCR operations reported an IDP population, compared with 32 the previous year and 29 in 2016. As has been the case since 2015, Colombia continued to report the highest number of internally displaced people with 7,816,500 at the end of 2018 according to Government statistics [Figure 15].47 During 2018, 118,200 new displacements were reported, with no returns or other decreases reported. The regions unhcr > Global trends 2018 most impacted by mass displacements included Colombia’s north-eastern border with Venezuela, the southern border with Ecuador, the Pacific coast bordering Panama, and the northwest, comprising the departments of Norte de Santander, Nariño, Antioquia and Choco.48 Similarly, Syria remained the country with the second highest level of internal displacement. During 2018, 256,700 new displacements were reported with the total displaced population reaching 6,183,900.49, 50 As the Syria crisis entered its eighth year, continued 45 For detailed statistics on global internal displacement, see www.internal-displacement.org 46 In December 2005, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee endorsed the “cluster” approach for handling situations of internal displacement. Under this arrangement, UNHCR assumes leadership responsibility and accountability for three clusters: protection, shelter, and camp coordination and camp management. 47 The large number of registered IDPs in Colombia comes from the total cumulative figure from the Victims’ Registry, which commenced in 1985. See: www.unidadvictimas.gov.co. 48 “2019 Humanitarian needs overview: – Colombia”. See: https:// www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/operations/colombia/ document/humanitarian-needs-overview-2019 49 The population is as of end-August 2018. 50 The IDP estimates were reported by the Government of Syria and did not include any reported IDP returns. However, OCHA reported 1.4 million spontaneous returns. See: reliefweb.int/ sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/2019_Syr_HNO_Summary.pdf UNHCR is working to reconcile these estimates. 35