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
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
Not even the wires were left behind at a small grocery store. Before the ground had even stopped shaking, looting and theft began in the areas hardest hit by the double earthquake that struck Venezuela.
Reports of robberies have multiplied in the coastal state of La Guaira, located near Caracas and now transformed into a landscape of collapsed buildings and debris.
Videos circulating on social media show groups of people removing boxes of household appliances from a damaged store. Other images show similar boxes being carried on top of vehicles and motorcycles.
Social media platforms have also been filled with accusations against police officers and military personnel who allegedly stole from homes and even from victims who died during the disaster.
A branch of a major pharmacy chain was looted, along with supermarkets and other businesses. Some residents have described the situation as “disaster tourism,” while others say the looting reflects hunger and desperation among people who lost everything in a country already facing a prolonged economic crisis.
“Is it fair that our own people turn against our own people?” said María Esther Bernal, 71, who rented commercial spaces to Chinese merchants, all of which were looted. “They left nothing behind, not even the wallpaper. They even took the cables,” she said.
“Next door, a man died. He was Chinese. People walked over his body while they looted the place. It was a supermarket,” she added.
An AFP journalist witnessed looting in La Guaira since Thursday, following the earthquakes.
Jenifer Mayora, 34, defended some of the actions, saying that “the things people took were because the owners of the stores allowed us to take them.”
However, she criticized the limited response from authorities. “I have been waiting for a mattress so my children can sleep,” she said.
Residents have expressed anger over what they describe as a slow and insufficient response from authorities after the double earthquake, which has left around 1,450 people dead and tens of thousands missing.
Communities are demanding not only faster rescue operations in La Guaira, but also stronger security measures and urgent assistance with food, water, and medicine.
International
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
Up to 6.76 million people could be affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, according to an assessment released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency.
The organization said the projections are based on available population data and damage assessments, and include up to two million people living in Caracas, the country’s capital.
The estimates highlight the potentially massive humanitarian impact of the disaster, the IOM warned.
Entire buildings collapsed in La Guaira, a coastal area north of Caracas, following the powerful twin earthquakes that reached magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 on Wednesday.
The national death toll has risen to 920, while rescue teams continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble in coastal regions and other affected areas.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told AFP on Friday that more than 50,000 people were reported missing.
The IOM also revealed that it worked with Microsoft’s artificial intelligence laboratory on an initial satellite mapping analysis, which showed that 31.5% of buildings in the town of Catia La Mar had suffered damage.
Authorities and international rescue teams continue operations as Venezuela faces one of its largest humanitarian emergencies in recent years.
International
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday expressed his condolences to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes that struck the country and highlighted the ongoing coordination between UN humanitarian teams and interim President Delcy Rodríguez.
Speaking during the UN’s daily press briefing, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.
“The Secretary-General is deeply distressed by the loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by the earthquakes that struck Venezuela yesterday. He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” Dujarric stated.
Venezuela was struck on Wednesday by two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude. According to official figures, the disaster has left at least 164 people dead and 971 others injured.
Dujarric noted that preliminary reports indicate significant damage across several states, including the capital, Caracas. Numerous casualties have been reported, while other individuals remain trapped beneath collapsed structures or are still missing.
“Critical infrastructure has been damaged and essential services have been disrupted,” the spokesperson said.
The United Nations confirmed that its humanitarian team remains in close contact with interim President Delcy Rodríguez and other relevant authorities as emergency operations continue.
To support relief efforts, the UN has established a coordination center in Caracas and is assisting local authorities to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches affected communities as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guterres also welcomed the expressions of solidarity and offers of assistance from countries around the world that responded following news of the disaster, underscoring the importance of international cooperation in addressing the humanitarian emergency.
Looting Spreads in Venezuela’s Hardest-Hit Areas After Deadly Earthquakes
UN warns Venezuela earthquakes could affect up to 6.76 million people
United Nations Coordinates Relief Efforts as Venezuela Death Toll Rises After Twin Quakes
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