International
Conflicts and disasters caused the displacement of 83 million people in 2024, a record figure
A total of 83.4 million people, a figure never recorded before, lived at the end of 2024 away from their homes in their own countries due to conflicts and natural disasters, according to the annual report of the Internal Displacement Observatory (IDMC).
The figure represents an increase of 11% compared to the previous year and indicates that in six years the domestic displacement figures have doubled, in a context of growing violence on all continents and greater frequency of extreme weather events as a result of climate change.
90% of these displacements (73.5 million, 10% more than in 2023) were caused by violence, with Sudan being the country most affected by this type of exodus, since two years of civil war have forced 11.6 million people to live far from their homes, the highest figure ever recorded in a single country.
Next are Syria, with 7.4 million internally displaced people, although this figure is expected to fall this year after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, while Colombia, with 7.3 million, could instead increase these figures in 2025 with the growing conflict in the northeastern region of Catatumbo.
At the end of last year, 9.8 million people were displaced by natural disasters, an increase of 29% compared to a year earlier, of which one in seven (1.3 million) is in Afghanistan, a country that last year was hit by both droughts and floods.
The second country with the most disaster displaced people is Chad (1.2 million), followed by the Philippines (one million), Ethiopia (757,000) and Somalia (733,000).
Of all the displaced, almost half are concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (38.8 million), 20% in the Middle East and the Maghreb (16.6 million), 12% in the Americas (9.7 million) and 9% in South Asia (7.1 million).
In Europe, mainly because of the war in Ukraine, there are still 5.9 million internally displaced persons, 7% of the total, while in East Asia and the Pacific the number of people away from their homes is 5.2 million, 6%.
“These figures show that internal displacement is not only a humanitarian crisis: it is a clear political and development challenge that requires much more attention than it currently receives,” said IDMC director Alexandra Bilak, when presenting these figures.
Last year IDMC accounted for 20.1 million movements of displaced people due to conflict, including 5.3 million in the DRC, 3.7 million in Sudan and 3.2 million in Palestine, where due to the constant Israeli attacks many civilians have had to move several times throughout the conflict.
In addition, disaster movements totaled last year another record figure, 45.8 million, almost all due to floods and storms, hurricanes, cyclones or typhoons, although on many occasions they were temporary evacuations, after which the displaced were able to return home.
The fact that the United States ranked first in this indicator stands out, taking into account the massive evacuations carried out during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida: in total, the displacements due to disasters in that country were 11 million.
Next, the Philippines (almost 9 million), India (5.4 million), China (3.9 million) and Bangladesh (2.4 million) were placed in the table.
IDMC warned that the number of countries in which displacements were recorded due to both conflicts and disasters has tripled since 2009, and that more than three quarters of internally displaced people at the end of 2024 lived in countries very vulnerable to climate change.
“Solving displacement requires both immediate efforts to help people who have lost everything and investments to address vulnerabilities, with the aim that people are not forced to move,” Bilak stressed.
To the internally displaced persons should be added the also growing number of people who have fled from conflicts, crises and disasters to other countries as refugees or asylum seekers, and which according to figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) amounted to 43.4 million in mid-2024.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
International
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated Monday that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, as a 60-day deadline set under a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expired without an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.
“The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way or under any circumstances, a nuclear weapon,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The memorandum, signed on June 17, called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts” as part of a broader negotiation process aimed at ending the conflict. However, the deadline expired Monday without a peace agreement, while both Washington and Tehran continued to maintain their respective positions.
The expiration is largely symbolic, as military clashes resumed during the 60-day period. The Strait of Hormuz also remains blocked, contributing to elevated global oil prices.
Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Tehran last Friday, saying he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after defeating Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, very soon I will essentially declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory,” Trump said during a political rally in Long Island, New York. He also claimed that the United States currently controls the passage of vessels through the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is preparing additional economic measures against Iran that he described as unprecedented.
“Stay tuned for new announcements next week because we are going to implement measures unlike anything ever seen in the history of the economic isolation of a country,” Bessent said.
The Treasury secretary indicated that the measures would form part of a broader “double hit” strategy that could also involve maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
International
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Public security took center stage Sunday as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro formally launched their election campaigns, positioning themselves as the leading rivals ahead of the October presidential vote.
Lula, who leads most opinion polls, kicked off his campaign at the Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo state, while Bolsonaro held his event in Rio de Janeiro, a political stronghold of his family.
During his speech, Lula announced plans to create a new Ministry of Public Security aimed at strengthening coordination between the federal government and Brazil’s states in the fight against crime.
The president pledged a tougher strategy to reclaim territories controlled or influenced by criminal groups. The proposed ministry would help “share responsibilities with the states” and confront those who seek to control favelas and impoverished neighborhoods, Lula told supporters.
The initiative places public security at the heart of Lula’s campaign as he seeks another term in office amid persistent concerns over crime and organized criminal activity in Brazil.
Lula also used his first campaign speech to reinforce his position as a leading figure of Brazil’s left and to criticize his political opponents on the right.
“I will not allow the right to take power,” Lula said, accusing his opponents of having previously mocked children who died because they lacked access to medicine.
“I don’t know what future these people imagine for the Brazilian people,” he added.
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Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty
Colombia Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 265 as Rescue Teams Race Against Time
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
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ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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