IDMC Severity Assessments

Understanding the severity of displacement conditions is essential for more effective, evidence-based policies and programmes to achieve lasting solutions for the 71.1 million IDPs globally. The  IASC Framework for Durable Solutions  calls for an effective mechanism to monitor the conditions of displacement and the process of supporting durable solutions. To this end, IDMC’s severity assessments leverage existing data from REACH’s Multi-Sector Needs Assessments (MSNAs) to assess progress against the key components of the IASC Framework Criteria and provide a country-level snapshot of conditions for internally displaced people (IDPs) compared to those of the host community. This includes their access to adequate housing, stable income, food security and education, as well as the risk of exposure to conflict or violence, and experience of natural hazards and other threats, to help identify remaining challenges that need to be addressed to support the achievement of a durable solution.

This analysis enhances understanding of the protection and assistance needs of IDPs in the 13 countries assessed, supporting the objectives of the  Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement.  Moreover, it aims to assist government, humanitarian and development actors in identifying sectors and areas that require increased support in order for IDPs to progress towards durable solutions.

Integrating quantitative analysis with additional contextual information is crucial to ensure that findings are appropriately contextualized. For further details regarding the countries where severity assessments have been conducted this year, please refer to their respective  country profile pages  on the IDMC website.

The section below explores further the different challenges and risks experienced by IDPs and host community members across the four dimensions of the assessment.

The MSNA datasets present ample opportunities for in-depth analysis, a focus that will be explored extensively in future updates of the severity assessments. To provide a glimpse into the potential of these additional analyses, severity assessments in specific countries have been disaggregated based on duration, cause, and location of displacement:

• Duration of displacement: In both Somalia and Burkina Faso, a nuanced assessment of severity is conducted based on the duration of displacement—those displaced for less than 12 months and beyond 12 months in Somalia, and within 6 and 12 months versus over 12 months in Burkina Faso.

• In-camp/out-of-camp IDPs: The analysis for Central African Republic and Iraq further distinguishes severity results between in-camp and out-of-camp IDPs, providing additional insights into the impact of living situations for displaced populations.

• Causes of displacement: Examining Somalia, a comparison is drawn between the severity of conditions for those displaced by conflict and those affected by disasters.

• Location of displacement: Analysis in the Central African Republic, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo delves into location-based disparities, assessing severity at prefecture, governorate and province (Admin 1) levels.

Explore the data dashboard below to see a summary of the results for each country. Navigate by zooming in or clicking on your selected country to filter the data and see the results for each indicator within the four dimensions. You can delve deeper into the data by using the dashboard or downloading the complete dataset. More information on the methodology can be found in the concept note.