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Updated July 23, 2021
Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis
Humanitarian and displacement crises worldwide have
Natural disasters and climate-related impacts further affect
become significantly worse in the past five years. The
millions of people a year. They often require urgent and
ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
prolonged assistance due to sudden events (such as
has exacerbated humanitarian need. In addition, the
earthquakes or storms) or protracted ones (like drought
lockdowns and economic recession caused by the pandemic
conditions). On average, disasters displace 26 million
created far-reaching secondary impacts such as increased
people annually.
food insecurity, gender-based violence, and poverty, and
Some populations move voluntarily, while others have to
reduced access to education and health. The United Nations
flee. Economic migrants, who often leave poverty and
(U.N.) anticipates that globally more than 238 million
unemployment to seek better livelihood opportunities or
people will require humanitarian assistance and protection
family reunification, numbered approximately 281 million
due to conflict, disaster, and the pandemic in 2021 (a near
in 2020 (roughly 3.6% of the world’s population). Refugees
30% increase over 2020). The United States is the single
and others forcibly displaced, including vulnerable
largest humanitarian and emergency food assistance donor,
migrants, often face a different set of circumstances. They
consistently providing nearly one-third of total assistance
are forced to leave their homes for reasons such as ethnic
worldwide (more than $9.6 billion in FY2021, excluding
strife, violence, human rights violations, or natural
American Relief Plan Act funds).
disasters. In 2020, more than two-thirds (68%) of all
Types of Crises and Affected Populations
refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad came from five
countries (the same reported in 2019): Syria, Venezuela,
As of late 2020 (latest global data available), more than
Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma. (See Figure 1 for
82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due
worldwide snapshot of forced displacement.)
to armed conflict, widespread or indiscriminate violence, or
human rights violations. According to the United Nations,
Figure 1. Refugees/Asylum Seekers and IDPs
those displaced included 26.4 million refugees, 4.1 million
asylum seekers, 48 million Internally Displaced Persons
(IDPs), and 3.9 million Venezuelans displaced abroad. An
estimated 10 million people remained stateless. (See
definitions of key populations of concern below.)

Key Populations of Concern
Asylum-seekers, who flee their home country, seek
sanctuary in another state where they apply for asylum (i.e.,
the right to be recognized as a refugee). They may receive
legal protection and assistance while their formal status is
determined.
Refugees, who have fled their country of origin because of a
wel -founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion,
nationality, or membership in a particular social or political
group. Refugees are unwil ing or unable to avail themselves of
the protection of their home government due to fears of
persecution. Once granted refugee status, a person has
certain rights and protections under international law.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who have been
forced from their homes, often for many of the same reasons
as refugees, but have not crossed an international border.
Stateless persons, who are not considered to be citizens of
any state under national laws.
Vulnerable migrants, who are often forced to flee

circumstances in their country of origin (such as generalized
Source: Created by CRS using global data available from UNHCR.
violence, food insecurity, and environmental change) but do
Notes: Smal est map values begin at 470,000.
not qualify as refugees.
U.S. Policy

The United States is a major contributor to international
humanitarian relief efforts, with funding provided through
the U.S. Agency for International Development, the
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Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis
Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the
precedence over long-term development and the search for
Department of Agriculture. On a bipartisan basis, Congress
durable solutions. Chronic underfunding of existing U.N.
has consistently supported humanitarian efforts as a means
and other humanitarian appeals means that urgent needs
of responding in the short- and long-term to natural
frequently outpace available budgets for operations. The
disasters and conflict-induced crises, mitigating
2021 revised U.N. global humanitarian appeal for $36.1
humanitarian impacts, and promoting a U.S. presence. It
billion is the highest ever and aims to help populations in
generally gives the President broad authority on
56 countries meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter,
humanitarian issues and flexibility to respond to disasters
and medical services, including those related to COVID-19.
with a wide range of assistance. In a long-standing trend
across Administrations, it typically funds global
Displacement and Host Countries . Economic migrants,
humanitarian efforts at appropriation levels well above the
refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, trafficked
budget request through established global humanitarian and
persons, and unaccompanied children, usually in a mix of
emergency food accounts in annual State, Foreign
nationalities or ethnic groups, may travel the same routes
Operations and Related Programs and other appropriations
together. Many of these individuals lack required
bills. In practice, the provision of U.S. humanitarian
documentation, and may use unauthorized border crossings,
assistance is typically case- and time-specific and includes
often with the assistance of smugglers. An individual’s
assistance through humanitarian partners and multilateral
decision to move is based on a complex mix of factors.
mechanisms. These efforts are based on need and include
Even if they do not qualify as refugees, experts say a
supporting protection activities for vulnerable populations
significant number of those fleeing may need humanitarian
and countries and communities hosting the displaced,
assistance, international protection, and opportunities to
encouraging donor contributions, and building response
regularize their status. However, states concerned about the
capacity. The Biden Administration’s budget request for
economic burden of those seeking help and the potential
FY2022 aims to strengthen U.S. global humanitarian
security issues resulting from uncontrolled migration
leadership and calls for $10.1 billion in humanitarian
(raised in part because of the threat of terrorism) argue for
assistance to support displaced and vulnerable persons
stricter enforcement of asylum and immigration policies.
worldwide.

Protracted Displacement. Refugees and IDPs may be
International Humanitarian Compacts
separated from their homes for long periods, particularly in
instances of large-scale, protracted crises or ongoing-armed
Building on several 2016 international humanitarian meetings,
conflicts where political solutions prove elusive. The global
in 2018, U.N. member states negotiated two global compacts,
population of those forcibly displaced increased by 75% in
which were adopted under separate processes: the Global
the past two decades, and on average, a person is displaced
Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
as a refugee for 20 years. Displaced populations are often
(GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). The
not confined to camps, placing a heavy burden on
United States ended its participation in the GCM in
governments and host communities. National governments
December 2017 and in the GCR in November 2018.
carry primary responsibility for all displaced people in their
territory; however, in many cases they are unable or
Selected Issues and Chal enges
unwilling to fulfill this obligation, complicating the
COVID-19. COVID-19 added a complicated layer to the
humanitarian response. In 2020, the countries with the
global humanitarian landscape in 2020. The conditions in
largest populations of IDPs were the Democratic Republic
which vulnerable, displaced populations live make them
of the Congo, Syria, and Sudan. The top countries hosting
particularly susceptible to coronavirus spread and present
refugees included Turkey, Colombia, Pakistan, and Uganda.
additional challenges for humanitarian response and virus
Less than 1% of global refugees are resettled each year.
containment. COVID-19 cases and deaths in humanitarian
and conflict settings are likely underreported, and testing
Operational Constraints and Access. Displaced
remains limited and uneven. Pandemic restrictions continue
populations require protection, the basis of which may be
to affect the mobility of vulnerable populations and limit
found in international humanitarian law (IHL) and reflected
humanitarian access and operations (such as delivery of
in humanitarian assistance provided by a variety of actors
goods and services and activities of personnel in the field).
and organizations. Local, national, and regional authorities
Experts predict barriers for displaced populations and
have a role in the provision of assistance, law enforcement,
vulnerable migrants to access vaccines. Four specific
and access control. Systematic violations of human rights
sectors emerged as priorities during the pandemic: severe
and IHL have been widespread in some conflicts, resulting
food insecurity, urgent health care access and services,
in high levels of civilian casualties, exposure to explosive
protection of women and girls amid increases in the
hazards, and indiscriminate attacks. This has severely
incidence of gender-based violence, and sustained access to
constrained national and international humanitarian efforts,
education for displaced children and youth. In addition,
hindering aid delivery or restricting access altogether, while
refugee returns to countries of origin and refugee
threatening the safety of humanitarian personnel and the
resettlement, which declined due to COVID-19, are
populations they aim to assist and protect.
important parts of the long-term solution to displacement.
Rhoda Margesson, Specialist in International
Emergence of New Crises and Underfunding. A major
Humanitarian Policy
challenge facing the humanitarian community is the
emergence of new crises (including the pandemic), which
IF10568
means lifesaving assistance and protection activities take
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Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10568 · VERSION 14 · UPDATED

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