Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis

Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis

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Updated January 27, 2022
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 who 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, lockdowns
earthquakes) or protracted ones (like drought conditions).
and economic recession have created far-reaching
On average, disasters displace 26 million people annually.
secondary impacts such as increased food insecurity,
Some populations move voluntarily, while others have to
gender-based violence, poverty, and reduced access to
flee. Economic migrants, who often leave poverty and
education and health. In 2022, the United Nations (U.N.)
unemployment to seek better livelihood opportunities or
anticipates that globally more than 274 million people will
family reunification, numbered approximately 281 million
require humanitarian assistance and protection due to
in 2020 (roughly 3.6% of the world’s population). Refugees
conflict, disaster, and the pandemic (a 39% increase in two
and others forcibly displaced, including vulnerable
years). The United States is the single largest humanitarian
migrants, often face a different set of circumstances. They
and emergency food assistance donor, consistently
are forced to leave their homes for reasons such as ethnic
providing nearly one-third of total assistance worldwide
strife, violence, human rights violations, or natural
(more than $11.46 billion in FY2021) through global
disasters. By mid-2021, more than two-thirds (68%) of all
accounts.
refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad came from five
Types of Crises and Affected Populations
countries (the same reported in 2019): Syria, Venezuela,
Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Burma. (See Figure 1 for
As of mid-2021 (the latest year for which global data are
worldwide snapshot of forced displacement.)
available), more than 84 million people were forcibly
displaced worldwide due to armed conflict, widespread or
Figure 1. Refugees/Asylum Seekers and IDPs
indiscriminate violence, or human rights violations.
According to the United Nations, those displaced included
26.6 million refugees, 4.4 million asylum seekers, 48
million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and 5.7
million Venezuelans displaced abroad. An estimated 10
million people remained stateless. (See the text box for
definitions of key populations of concern.)

Key Populations of Concern
Asylum-seekers, who flee their home country and 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
well-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.
Source: Created by CRS using global data available from UNHCR.
Vulnerable migrants, who are often forced to flee
Note: Smal est map values begin at 470,000.
circumstances in their country of origin (such as generalized
violence, food insecurity, and environmental change) but do
U.S. Policy
not qualify as refugees.
The United States is a major contributor to international
humanitarian relief efforts, with funding provided through

the U.S. Agency for International Development, the
Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the
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Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis
Department of Agriculture. On a bipartisan basis, Congress
and other humanitarian appeals means that urgent needs
has consistently supported humanitarian efforts as a means
frequently outpace available budgets for operations. The
of responding in the short- and long-term to natural
2022 U.N. global humanitarian appeal for $41 billion is the
disasters and conflict-induced crises, mitigating
highest ever and aims to help populations in 63 countries
humanitarian impacts, and promoting a U.S. presence.
meet basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and medical
Congress generally gives the President broad authority on
services, including those related to COVID-19.
humanitarian issues and flexibility to respond to disasters
Displacement and Host Countries. Economic migrants,
with a wide range of assistance. In a long-standing trend
refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, trafficked
across Administrations, it typically funds global
persons, and unaccompanied children, usually in a mix of
humanitarian efforts at appropriation levels well above the
nationalities or ethnic groups, may travel the same routes
budget request through established global humanitarian and
together. Many of these individuals lack required
emergency food accounts in annual State, Foreign
documentation and may use unauthorized border crossings,
Operations and Related Programs and other appropriations
often with the assistance of smugglers. An individual’s
bills. In practice, the provision of U.S. humanitarian
decision to move is based on a complex mix of factors.
assistance is typically case- and time-specific and includes
Even if they do not qualify as refugees, experts say a
assistance through humanitarian partners and multilateral
significant number of those fleeing may need humanitarian
mechanisms. These efforts are based on need and include
assistance, international protection, and opportunities to
supporting protection activities for vulnerable populations
regularize their status. However, states concerned about the
and countries and communities hosting the displaced,
economic burden of those seeking help and the potential
encouraging donor contributions, and building response
security issues resulting from uncontrolled migration
capacity. The Biden Administration’s budget request for
(raised in part because of the threat of terrorism) argue for
FY2022 aims to strengthen U.S. global humanitarian
stricter enforcement of asylum and immigration policies.
leadership and calls for $10.1 billion in humanitarian
assistance to support displaced and vulnerable persons
Protracted Displacement. Refugees and IDPs may be
worldwide.
separated from their homes for long periods, particularly in

instances of large-scale, protracted crises or ongoing armed
International Humanitarian Compacts
conflicts where political solutions prove elusive. The global
population of those forcibly displaced increased by 75% in
Building on several 2016 international humanitarian meetings,
the past two decades, and on average, a person is displaced
in 2018, U.N. member states negotiated two global compacts,
as a refugee for 20 years. Displaced populations are often
which were adopted under separate processes: The Global
not confined to camps, placing a heavy burden on
Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
governments and host communities. National governments
(GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). The
carry primary responsibility for all displaced people in their
United States ended its participation in the GCM in
territory; however, in many cases they are unable or
December 2017 and in the GCR in November 2018.
unwilling to fulfill this obligation, complicating the
humanitarian response. In 2020 (the latest year for which
Selected Issues and Challenges
data are available), the countries with the largest
COVID-19. COVID-19 added a complicated layer to the
populations of IDPs were the Democratic Republic of the
global humanitarian landscape. The conditions in which
Congo, Syria, and Sudan. By mid-2021, the top countries
vulnerable, displaced populations live make them
hosting refugees included Turkey, Colombia, Uganda, and
particularly susceptible to coronavirus spread and present
Pakistan. Less than 1% of global refugees are resettled each
additional challenges for humanitarian response and virus
year. (See CRS In Focus IF10611, Global Refugee
containment. COVID-19 cases and deaths in humanitarian
Resettlement: Selected Issues and Questions.)
and conflict settings are likely underreported, and testing
remains limited and uneven. Pandemic restrictions continue
Operational Constraints and Access. Displaced
to affect the mobility of vulnerable populations and limit
populations require protection, the basis of which may be
humanitarian access and operations (such as delivery of
found in international humanitarian law (IHL) and reflected
goods and services and activities of personnel in the field).
in humanitarian assistance provided by a variety of actors
Experts predict that displaced populations and vulnerable
and organizations. Local, national, and regional authorities
migrants will continue to face barriers to vaccine access.
have a role in the provision of assistance, law enforcement,
During the pandemic, four specific sectors emerged as
and access control. Systematic violations of human rights
priorities: severe food insecurity, urgent health care access
and IHL have been widespread in some conflicts, resulting
and services, protection of women and girls amid increases
in high levels of civilian casualties, exposure to explosive
in the incidence of gender-based violence, and sustained
hazards, and indiscriminate attacks. These conditions have
access to education for displaced children and youth. In
severely constrained national and international
addition, refugee returns to countries of origin and refugee
humanitarian efforts, hindering aid delivery or restricting
resettlement, which declined due to COVID-19, are
access altogether, while threatening the safety of
important parts of the long-term solution to displacement.
humanitarian personnel and the populations they aim to
assist and protect.
Emergence of New Crises and Underfunding. When
new crises (including the pandemic) emerge, lifesaving
Rhoda Margesson, Specialist in International
assistance and protection activities often take precedence
Humanitarian Policy
over long-term development and the search for durable
solutions. Moreover, chronic underfunding of existing U.N.
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Overview of the Global Humanitarian and Displacement Crisis

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