EXPERTISE SERVICES: DRR VOICES BLOG
Disaster displacement ranks among the biggest humanitarian challenges of the 21st century.
In 2016, new disaster related displacements stood at 24.2 million in 118 countries according to the latest report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. Those who are forced to leave their homes may end up finding refuge elsewhere, but they pay a heavy price as displacement is a devastating experience. While most disaster displaced persons remain in their countries, some are forced to cross borders.
The Chair’s Summary from the recently concluded 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun emphasises the importance of disaster displacement and calls for the development of disaster risk reduction strategies, which “consider regional and cross-border perspectives and include provisions that aim to prevent displacement attributed to disasters and reduce displacement risk, address the protection needs of displaced people and promote durable solutions to displacement”.
Such policy achievements represent unique opportunities to address and reduce the risk of disaster displacement. The Platform on Disaster Displacement advocates for states to formulate and integrate disaster displacement and human mobility provisions into their national and regional DRR strategies, while engaging in a coordinated partnership through an all-of-society engagement.
Prevention of displacement and reduction of displacement risk by:
Addressing the protection needs of displaced people through:
Promoting durable solutions to displacement:
Going forward, the Platform working with some of its Advisory Committee members (UNISDR, IOM, UNHCR, NRC AND IDMC) is going to draft practical guidance on disaster displacement and DRR (“Words into Action”) in order to help states implement the Sendai Framework and their commitments.
Countries seeking advice on how to include displacement provisions in their DRR policies and strategies by 2020 (Sendai Framework Target E) are invited to contact the Platform on Disaster Displacement Coordination Unit.