An internally displaced person, commonly abbreviated to IDP, is someone who has been forced or obliged to flee or leave their home or habitual residence, particularly because of armed conflict, situations of generalised violence, violations of human rights or natural or human made disasters, but who has not crossed an internationally recognised state border. This definition is associated with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. The defining geographical distinction is that an IDP remains within their own country.
Internal displacement can be temporary or prolonged and can involve movement from a village to another village, from a rural region to a city, or from one neighbourhood to another. An internally displaced person may remain within the same administrative region while still being unable to return home. Internal displacement is therefore a form of forced displacement rather than simply ordinary internal migration.
Internal displacement is commonly caused by armed conflict, communal or political violence, persecution, human rights violations, disasters and development related displacement in some analytical contexts. During armed conflict, civilians may leave areas exposed to fighting, bombardment, occupation, forced recruitment or other threats. Natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, storms and wildfires can also force people from their homes. Human made disasters and environmental emergencies can have similar effects.
Large infrastructure projects, land clearance or resource extraction can also displace communities, although the legal treatment of such movement depends on the circumstances and applicable law. Not every person who changes residence within a country is an IDP. The defining feature is that the movement is forced or otherwise compelled by circumstances such as those recognised in the relevant definition.
The distinction between an internally displaced person and a refugee is primarily based on whether an international border has been crossed. An individual fleeing armed conflict from one region to another within the same country may be an IDP, whereas a person fleeing across an international border may potentially qualify as a refugee if the applicable legal requirements are satisfied. An IDP does not receive refugee status simply because their displacement is severe.
Instead, internally displaced people remain under the jurisdiction of their own state and are entitled to the protections applicable under international human rights law, international humanitarian law where relevant, and domestic law. The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement provide an important framework for addressing protection and assistance needs, although they are not themselves a treaty. This distinction affects responsibility, legal protection, humanitarian assistance and the mechanisms available for finding durable solutions.
IDPs can face serious protection risks during and after displacement. They may lose homes, land, employment, documents, possessions, social networks and access to schools or healthcare. Displacement can increase exposure to poverty, exploitation, family separation, trafficking, violence and food insecurity. Women, children, older people and people with disabilities can face particular risks, although vulnerability varies by individual and context.
Internal displacement can also place substantial pressure on host communities, especially when large numbers of people move rapidly into areas with limited housing, water, sanitation, healthcare or employment. Unlike some refugee populations, IDPs may not be physically separated from the conflict or disaster zone by an international boundary, meaning they can remain exposed to continuing insecurity.
IDPs may live in formal camps, collective centres, temporary shelters, host households, rented accommodation, informal settlements or damaged homes. Many remain in urban areas rather than camps, which can make them less visible to humanitarian organisations and government authorities. Registration and identification can be difficult because displacement may occur repeatedly and people may move several times. Some IDPs return home after conditions improve, while others integrate locally, settle elsewhere within the country or experience protracted displacement lasting years or decades. Durable solutions therefore involve more than simply transporting people back to their original homes. Safety, access to housing and property, livelihoods, public services, documentation, justice and social inclusion can all be necessary for a sustainable solution.
Protection of IDPs is closely connected with state responsibility because they remain within their own country. Governments have primary responsibility for protecting and assisting their populations, although international humanitarian organisations may provide support when national capacity is insufficient or authorities request or permit assistance. International humanitarian law imposes obligations on parties to armed conflicts concerning civilians, while human rights law continues to provide broader protections subject to applicable legal circumstances. Humanitarian responses may include emergency shelter, food, clean water, healthcare, education, protection services, legal assistance and support for restoring documents or property rights. Effective responses increasingly seek to involve displaced people themselves in decisions about assistance, relocation, return and recovery.
Internal displacement can have major long term consequences for national development. Large displaced populations may lose productive assets, interrupt children's education, reduce labour force participation and increase poverty. Host regions can experience increased demand for public services and infrastructure. At the same time, displaced people can contribute economically and socially when they receive legal access to work, education, housing and markets. Returning populations can support reconstruction if they have secure access to land and property and if security conditions permit. Recovery policies therefore need to address both immediate humanitarian needs and structural causes of displacement. Conflict resolution, disaster risk reduction, resilient infrastructure, land rights, public administration and access to justice can all affect whether displacement becomes temporary or protracted.
The concept of internal displacement is important because people can experience forced movement on a very large scale without becoming refugees. Historical conflicts, civil wars, natural disasters and other crises have repeatedly generated populations displaced within national borders. Modern humanitarian systems therefore distinguish internally displaced people from refugees while recognising that the two groups can experience many similar risks.
Some individuals can also move between categories, for example when an IDP later crosses an international border and seeks protection abroad, or when a refugee returns to their country but remains unable to return home and becomes internally displaced. Accurate terminology is consequently important for humanitarian planning, legal analysis and statistical reporting. Internal displacement describes a situation of forced movement within a country, not a nationality, permanent identity or particular political status.
