United Nations (UN) Secretary-General launches Action Agenda on Internal Displacement
Recently the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has released the ‘Action Agenda on Internal Displacement’.
This work agenda sets out the commitments of the United Nations system to better solve, prevent and address internal displacement crises.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are people who are forced to migrate from their homes due to various reasons, but remain within their country.
Major causes of internal displacement:
- Armed conflict,
- General violence,
- Human rights violations,
- Natural or man-made disaster, effects of climate change etc.
The number of internally displaced has exceeded 59 million (2021). In India too, the number of internally displaced in the year 2021 was 4.9 million.
Internally displaced people face the following challenges:
- High risk of physical assault, sexual assault and kidnapping.
- Being deprived of adequate shelter, food and health services etc.
This action agenda sets out the United Nations’ commitments to the realization of the following three goals:
- To help the internally displaced people find a sustainable solution to their displacement;
- Better prevent new displacement crises from emerging; And
- Ensuring that those facing displacement receive effective protection and support.
In India, internal displacement is included in the following categories:
- Displacement due to natural calamities, displacement due to development activities, and displacement due to incidents of violence and conflict.
- The Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005 address the first two categories.
- Apart from these, an umbrella scheme for relief and rehabilitation of migrants and returnees is also being implemented. Under this, financial assistance and other facilities are provided.
Source – The Hindu
