East Africa is Host to Its Own IDP Created Population of 9.6 m People

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Somalilandsun- As of March 2014, there were 9,573,092 people displaced in Burundi, (eastern) Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

This represents a decrease of 328,066 individuals since the end of September 2013, when there were 9,901,158 people displaced in the region. Of the total displaced population, 2,282,857 are refugees while 7,290,235 are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and people severely affected by conflict. Displacement trends in the eastern Africa region continue to be driven by internal armed conflicts, inter-communal fighting and generalised insecurity. The region also remains prone to natural disasters, particularly floods and drought, resulting in temporary displacement.
DRC, Sudan, Somalia and South Sudan continue to record the highest number of IDPs and persons severely affected by conflict at an estimated 2.6 million, 2.0 million, 1.1 million and 0.8 million people respectively. The IDP population in the region has reduced by six per cent (464,011 people) during the last six months. This is attributed to a notable reduction in the total IDP figures for DRC, Sudan and Ethiopia, against a significant increase of more than 405 per cent (over 640,000 people) in South Sudan. Following a political disagreement in December 2013 that deteriorated into renewed conflict and insecurity in South Sudan, over one million people have been displaced within and out of the country. The largest IDP concentrations are in Unity, Jonglei, Lakes, and Upper Nile States, while Ethiopia and Uganda each hosted over 35 per cent of the South Sudanese refugee caseload (254,600) in the region.
The IDP population in eastern DRC has during the last six months decreased by almost 120,000 individuals. This is largely due to the semblance of peace following the surrender of the M23 rebel group to the Government in November 2013. The majority of the displaced people live in North Kivu Province, home to 41 per cent (over 1 million people) of the entire IDP population in eastern DRC. However, Katanga Province, in south-eastern DRC, now hosts more than 400,000 IDPs. This represents an increase of 14 per cent from September to December 2013, and a staggering 688 per cent increase since March 2011, when the province counted about 51,000 IDPs. The most affected territories are Pweto (36.6%), Kalemie (14.7%), Malemba Nkulu (11.8%) and Manono (11.3%). The majority of displacement (56%) is due in particular to fighting between the national army and elements of the Mai Mai militias, said to be seeking independence for the natural resource-rich province. The insecurity in DRC has further compelled an estimated 400,000 Congolese to live as refugees in neighbouring countries. Uganda hosts 46 per cent (171,126 individuals) of the entire Congolese refugee population in the region, while 99 per cent of the total refugee populations in Rwanda and in Burundi are of Congolese origin.
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