These displaced individuals which include refugees, asylum-seekers are over 25 million people according to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Forced displacement in Africa
While there are several contributing factors, the main causes of forced displacement in Africa can be broadly categorized into conflict and violence, climate change, and human rights abuses.
A notable exception to the trend of conflict-driven displacement in Africa can be seen in Eritrea and Rwanda, two countries with over 250,000 displaced people that are not currently embroiled in conflict.
However, these nations are marked by severe domestic repression, ranking among the highest in Africa.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that the displacement in Eritrea and Rwanda primarily occurs outside their borders.
Major conflicts across Africa
Protracted conflicts in countries like South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Somalia have caused widespread displacement.
In South Sudan, civil war has displaced millions both internally and to neighboring countries.
Similarly, the DRC’s conflict, driven by ethnic tensions and armed groups, has displaced millions.
In the Sahel, violent extremism from groups like Boko Haram and AQIM has further escalated displacement.
The sharp rise in displacement in recent years can largely be attributed to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, which saw an alarming 5.35 million increase in the number of internally displaced people over the past year.
The table below sourced from the UNHCR and The World Bank shows the top 10 African countries with the highest number of displaced individuals mid 2024;
| Rank | Country | Total Displaced (Millions) |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Sudan |
12.7M |
|
2 |
DR Congo |
8.0M |
|
3 |
Somalia |
5.0M |
|
4 |
Nigeria |
3.8M |
|
5 |
Ethiopia |
3.5M |
|
6 |
South Sudan |
3.4M |
|
7 |
Burkina Faso |
2.3M |
|
8 |
Cameroon |
1.3M |
|
9 |
CAR |
1.2M |
|
10 |
Eritrea |
664,745 |
According to data from the UNHCR and the World bank, the nine African countries with more than 1 million displaced account for more than 90% of the total forcibly displaced population in Africa.
From the table, these countries include Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic (CAR).
