Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Internal Displacement African Overview

Africa’s five highest internal displacement countries are due to widespread disasters, conflict, and violence.

The poverty divide in Africa is worsened by conflict and forced displacement. These issues often arise due to political instability and armed conflicts within African countries. As a result, many people are forced to flee their homes in order to escape violence and persecution. This internal displacement can have a significant impact on poverty rates in the region.

Internal displacement in Africa leads to increased migration, both within the country and across borders. Some displaced individuals might try to migrate to other regions, including the United States, for better living conditions and economic prospects. This migration can, in turn, contribute to the rise in homelessness in the host country as new arrivals often face challenges in finding stable housing and employment.

In 2015, the World Bank estimated that there were 194,000 combatants in armed groups in Africa.

Poverty refers to the condition of not having sufficient funds and resources to fulfill one's essential requirements, including food, clothing, and shelter.

According to the World Bank, although great strides have been made toward poverty reduction in Africa, the region hosts half of the world’s extremely poor. The latest estimates suggest that the share of the African population in extreme poverty declined from 57% in 1990 to 41% in 2013.

Over the next 10 years, only one in four of Africa’s youth is expected to find a salary job. This lack of opportunities threatens the realization of the money dividend. Forced displacement is a challenge in Africa that also increases the poverty divide.

A symptom of conflict, persecution, human rights abuses, natural disasters and failure of governance, the African region hosted 5.1 million refugees or internally displaced persons (IDP’s) at the end of 2016, 30% of global IDP’s.

IDP Stats

The Democratic Republic of the Congo 2017 estimates 4,480,000 IDP’s

South Sudan 2017 estimates 1,899,000 IDP’s

Nigeria 2017 estimates 1,707,000 IDP’s

Ethiopia 2017 estimates 1,078,000 IDP’s

Somalia 2017 estimates 825,000 IDP’s

While IDP’s are faced with aid dependency and life in encampment situations, the communities hosting them often belong to the poorest and most excluded in their respective country, living in secluded and underdeveloped borderlands. Turkana County in Kenya, for instance, which is home to the Kakuma refugee camp, has a poverty rate of 88% compared to the national average of 45%.

Despite forced displacement, Africa is undergoing rapid urbanization, with 40,000 new urban dwellers daily. Over 450 million new urban dwellers are expected between 2010 and 2040, with half of Africa’s population living in urban areas by that year.

The protracted conflict in many African regions has also created the poverty divide. Around 20 countries out of 54 in Africa are categorized as fragile or conflict-affected. The Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region have been in conflict for over 20 years.

In 2015, the World Bank estimated that there were 194,000 combatants in African armed groups. A 2016 study commissioned by the World Bank-administered Transitional Demobilization and Reintegration Program on armed movements in Mali found that youth comprised the majority of the ex-combatants, with the 18-40 age group representing 79%.

Environmental issues like climate change also contribute to internal displacement in Africa. For example, droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events can displace communities, causing them to seek refuge elsewhere within their own country. 

The interconnectedness of the global economy can also play a role. Economic policies, trade agreements, and investments in the United States and Africa can influence economic conditions, employment opportunities, and resource access. If economic disparities persist or worsen, it can exacerbate both homelessness in America and internal displacement in Africa.

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