Protracted displacement in the aftermath of disasters is also a highly problematic. We produced a first scoping exercise in 2015, which aimed to shed light on the phenomenon by challenging the notion that people who flee a disaster are not likely to remain displaced for long. This false assumption is fostered by only occasional reporting of ongoing cases, often to mark the anniversary of a particular disaster. Our scoping exercise allowed us to re-examine the issue, and conclude that there are likely to be many more people living in protracted displacement than previously thought. This year, we collected time-series data on the 50 largest displacements in 2016 and the ten largest each year from 2008 to 2015. Terminology We use the term “displaced”, but it is rarely if ever adopted consistently and unequivocally by different countries or sources (see table A.9). In some countries, such as Afghanistan, the term “returnees” can also refer to IDPs (see part 3). People displaced by floods in 2016 were referred to as “homeless” in DRC and “sheltered” in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Often, sources refer to people displaced by disasters as “directly affected”. It is true that IDPs are part of a wider population affected by a disaster, but not all those affected are IDPs. As such, additional analysis is required to make sense of the terms sources use, and to understand when and how they signal displacement. Table A.9: Explanation of reporting terms Term Explanation Displaced Involuntary or forced movements, evacuation or relocation – when not specified – of individuals or groups of people from their habitual places of residence Evacuated Voluntary and forced evacuations, both preventive and in response to the onset of a hazard Relocated Voluntary and forced relocations, both preventive and in response to the onset of a hazard Sheltered/ in relief camp People accommodated in shelters provided by national authorities or organisations such as NGOs, the UN and IFRC Homeless People rendered homeless and without adequate shelter Uninhabitable/ destroyed housing Limited to habitual place of residence, and includes houses, retirement homes, prisons, mental healthcare centres and dormitories. The number of destroyed/ uninhabitable houses is multiplied by the AHHS for that country to estimate the number of people who have been rendered homeless and so displaced. Partially destroyed housing Data on partially destroyed houses cannot necessarily be taken as a proxy indicator of displacement. This information, however, helps us identify situations we may need to look into further, and access to more detailed shelter assessments are very helpful in this sense. We also use it to triangulate other data. Sometimes, for example, partially destroyed housing is also referred to as uninhabitable. Forced to flee To run away from danger. “Flee” implies the forced nature of people’s movement and we take it to indicate displacement. Affected People whose life has been directly impacted by a disaster or conflict. Displaced people are amongst those affected, but not all affected people are necessarily displaced. There are exceptions, however, and in certain Latin American countries displaced people are referred to as affected for reasons of political sensitivity. Other Other indicators of displacement used by local authorities or organisations. They include context-specific terms such as rescued people, people in need of shelter, resettled people and people living in temporary or transitional shelter. METHODOLOGICAL ANNEX 107