LANID

LATIN AMERICAN NETWORK ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT

MERNID

MIDDLE EASTERN RESEARCH NETWORK ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT

GENIDA

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT NETWORK ON INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN AFRICA

HIDN

HEALTH AND INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT NETWORK

IDRP

INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMME

RID Spotlight

By Walter Kälin | Feb 12, 2026
This timely article by one of the world's leading experts on internal displacement highlights the growing crisis of climate-related internal displacement, which is unfolding against the backdrop of drastic funding cuts and humanity's apparent failure to adequately mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Arguing that the world is ill-prepared to address the crisis, including the severe challenges faced by populations living in protracted displacement, the author outlines a bold strategy for change. The blog calls on all stakeholders to acknowledge the severity of loss and damage related to displacement and prioritise durable solutions programming. It also highlights the systemic and financial changes required, including the need to make the still-elusive 'humanitarian-development nexus' a reality. Ultimately, the author makes separate but related recommendations to the United Nations, country donors and affected countries on how, through collaborative multi-year programming, the process of loss associated with displacement can be reversed and deliver sustainable improvements for affected populations.

Researching Internal Displacement connects researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, students, artists and people from displacement-affected communities with cutting-edge research, analysis, creative materials and other resources on internal displacement.

 

The platform is hosted by the Refugee Law Initiative, a unique academic centre at the  School of Advanced Study, University of London, promoting interdisciplinary research, teaching and exchange on law, policy and practice in refugee and displacement contexts.

LATEST RESOURCES

By Carolien Jacobs, Delu Lusambya and Patrick Milabyo Kyamusugulwa | Apr 9, 2026
This sixth volume in our series on ‘Internal Displacement in a Changing World Order’ looks into the impact of the DRC conflict and the shift in powers on the provision of selected basic public services for Congolese IDPs in the east of the country, most notably security, justice and education. We show that basic service provision by state and non-state actors is often inadequate, yet this does not necessarily create a void. Congo’s (civil) society is often stepping in and serving as the first humanitarian actors, responding to the most urgent needs of IDPs and other fellow citizens.
By Tomy Ncube and Una Murray | Mar 12, 2026
As climate impacts intensify, planned relocation is increasingly deployed as an adaptation strategy, yet outcomes for relocated communities remain consistently adverse. This paper argues that these failures stem from the treatment of planned relocation as a short-term, projectised disaster response rather than as a long-term developmental intervention. Drawing on social protection theory, this paper reconceptualises planned relocation as a form of social assistance, capable of delivering durable solutions. It demonstrates that planned relocation inherently performs preventive, protective, promotive, and potentially transformative social protection functions by minimising future climate risks, providing non-contributory transfers such as land and housing, and enabling livelihood reconstruction. However, when implemented outside formal social protection systems, these functions may collapse, often resulting in impoverishment and protracted displacement.

WHAT IS INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT?

Internally displaced persons (or IDPs) can be understood as:

persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.”

IDP TRAINING

Our free course in
‘Internal Displacement,
Conflict and Protection’

Find out more

ABOUT US

Connecting researchers,
practitioners, policy-makers,
students, artists and IDPs

Find out more

IDP TRAINING

Our free course in
‘Internal Displacement,
Conflict and Protection’

Find out more

ABOUT US

Connecting researchers,
practitioners, policy-makers,
students, artists and IDPs

Find out more

CALL FOR PAPERS

NEWS AND EVENTS

Internal displacement in the context of organized criminal activity – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
By United Nations Human Rights | Jun 27, 2025
A new report by the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur, examines the phenomenon of internal displacement in the context of organised criminal activity. Experts at the Refugee Law Initiative's Internal Displacement Research Programme provided submissions to the report. Their submissions were subsequently published as a collection by Researching Internal Displacement.

Researching Internal Displacement offers a platform for publishing insightful and engaging short pieces of writing, artistic productions and other research outputs, policy briefings and think pieces on internal displacement from our networks and others in a conversational and informal setting.

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

Researching Internal Displacement publishes engaging and insightful short pieces of writing, artistic and research outputs, policy briefings and think pieces on internal displacement.

We welcome contributions from academics, practitioners, researchers, officials, artists, poets, writers, musicians, dancers, postgraduate students and people affected by internal displacement.