Record 50 million people internally displaced in 2019, study finds

Covid-19 is likely to impact aid for people forced from their homes by conflict and disaster around the world, experts warn

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A total of 50.8 million people around the world were recorded as internally displaced last year, forced from their homes by conflict and disaster. This is the highest number ever, and 10 million more than in 2018.

Annual statistics published by the Norwegian Refugee Council's Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) calculated that by the end of 2019, 45.7 million people were internally displaced - effectively becoming refugees in their own country - as a result of violence in 61 countries. An additional 5.1 million people in 96 countries had been displaced by disasters.