Chapter 4 Population (millions) Figure 16 | New IDP displacements and returns | 2009-2018 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 ‘09 ‘10 New displacements ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 Returns living in areas directly affected by conflict, population movement has become a permanent feature. A convergence of factors arising from escalating violence, forced displacement, loss of essential livelihoods, and limited access to basic services exacerbated chronic vulnerabilities related to poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.59 In South Sudan the number of IDPs remained high, around 1.9 million, although decreasing slightly from 1,904,000 to 1,878,200 during the year. The majority of the internally displaced population was concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile states of Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile. The decreases in the IDP population were due mainly to secondary movements to neighbouring countries, especially Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia, rather than returns. While South Sudan’s recently revitalized peace process offers new opportunities amid de-escalating tensions, the numbers of internally displaced have continued to remain high with five years of conflict having driven many families to flee on multiple occasions.60 At the end of 2018, the internally displaced population in Sudan stood at 1,864,200, a decrease from the 1,997,000 at the start of the year. The vast majority of IDPs were in Darfur (88 per cent) and Kordofan (9 per cent). Some have been living in protracted 38 ‘14 displacement for over a decade, while others were recently displaced amid continued conflict. Segments of this population made spontaneous returns to their areas of origin, but sporadic and localized clashes in Darfur’s Jebel Marra area continued to drive displacement in 2018.61, 62 The number of IDPs in Iraq declined over 2018, decreasing from 2.6 million at the start of 2018 to 1.8 million at the end. There were close to 1 million returns during the year and 150,200 new displacements. Ninewa Province, which includes the city of Mosul, maintained the largest IDP population at 576,000, despite 437,000 returns during the year. Although the safe, voluntary and informed return of displaced 59 “2019 Humanitarian needs overview: – Afghanistan”. See: www. humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/ files/documents/files/afg_2019_humanitarian_needs_overview.pdf 60 “2019 Humanitarian needs overview: – South Sudan”. See: www. humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse. info/files/documents/files/south_sudan_humanitarian_needs_ overview_2019_final.pdf 61 “2018 Humanitarian needs overview: – Sudan”. See: www. humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse. info/files/documents/files/sudan_2018_humanitarian_needs_ overview.pdf 62 “Sudan Humanitarian Bulletin, issue 20, 26 November – 23 December 2018”. See: reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/ files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Humanitarian_Bulletin_ Issue_20_%2826_November_-_23_December_2018%29.pdf unhcr > Global trends 2018