Over 25 Million are Displaced in Africa, UNHCR Data Shows
These displaced include cross border refugees, internally displaced persons and asylum-seekers who according to estimates by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) number 25 million persons.
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.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, displacement on the continent has majorly been fueled by internal conflicts, with notable exception as can be seen in Eritrea and Rwanda, two countries with over 250,000 displaced people that are not currently embroiled in conflict.
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 conflict in Sudan has seen an alarming 5.35 million increase in the number of internally displaced people over the past year.
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.
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
1 Sudan 12.7 million
2 DR Congo 8.0 million
3 Somalia 5.0 million
4 Nigeria 3.8 million
5 Ethiopia 3.5 million
6 South Sudan 3.4 million
7 Burkina Faso 2.3 million
8 Cameroon 1.3 million
9 CAR 1.2 million
10 Eritrea 664,745