Sudan has most displaced people in the world

Sudan has 4,9 million displaced people, the highest number of any country in the world. That figure was reported yesterday by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. The statistic dates to January 2010, since which time the number has risen. In addition to having the highest number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide, Sudan is the place of origin of hundreds of thousands of refugees including 270.000 people who fled from Darfur to eastern Chad.

In terms of total number of IDPs, Sudan ranks higher than Columbia (3,3 – 4,9 million estimated), Iraq (2,76 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (1,9 million), Somalia (1,5 million) and Pakistan (1,2 million). Sudan ranks third in terms of the number of new displacements during the year 2009, behind Pakistan and DR Congo. Five-hundred thirty thousand (530.000) Sudanese fled their homes to other parts of Sudan during 2009, including 390.000 who fled from their homes in Southern Sudan. 

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center’s figure is higher than the UN’s January 2010 estimate that there were 4.1 million IDPs in Sudan. The IDMC total includes 2.7 million IDPs in Darfur, 1.7 million in the greater Khartoum area, 390.000 in Southern Sudan and 60.000 in Southern Kordofan. There are no figures available for the eastern states and Blue Nile.

The IDMC report is current only until January 2010. Since the beginning of this year, tens of thousands of more people have fled their homes in Darfur. Another 40.000 people were displaced in Southern Sudan between January and 20 March 2010, according to the United Nations. 

By Radio Dabanga