Refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs)

At the end of 2022, 108,4 million people worldwide were displaced – of which 35,3 million were refugees and 62,5 million were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). In post-conflict situations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) delivers humanitarian aid and supports the return and reintegration of refugees and IDPs. UN peace operations support UNHCR and other humanitarian actors by, for instance, providing technical assistance and logistics for aid deliveries, using their military capabilities to provide access for humanitarian aid or a safe environment for the return of refugees and IDPs.

Peace operations also fulfill important protection tasks. According to international law, national governments have the primary responsibility to protect civilians and IDPs. However, not all are willing or able to do so. Peace operations protect IDPs from attacks and ensure safety and law and order in refugee camps. The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), for example, monitors the situation inside and around refugee camps through early warning systems and provides physical protection in case of outbreaks of violence.. In South Sudan, where government troops and rebel groups had been involved in violent attacks against the civilian population, the UN mission (UNMISS) has opened its bases to thousands of people seeking protection in 2013. Since then, in cooperation with humanitarian actors, the mission has provided for the IDPs and offered immediate physical protection in so-called Protection Sites - early 2023, there were still around 37,000 civilians in the remaining protection zone Malakal.

Refugees and IDPs have to be cared for and protected. At the same time, sustainable solutions must be found for their reintegration. Continued conflict often impedes voluntary return. In cooperation with humanitarian and development partners, peace operations assess potential areas of return and carry out so-called Quick Impact Projects to repair critical infrastructure, thereby improving conditions for return, as is the case in South Sudan. UN operations also seek to establish the conditions for lasting reintegration by contributing to political solutions and addressing the causes of displacement.

As of 31.07.2023

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