Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025

Regional Overviews

​Middle East & North Africa: Floods Trigger Most Disaster Displacements
Disasters triggered 599,000 displacements in the Middle East and North Africa in 2024. The vast majority were reported in Yemen and Iraq, where international organisations conduct more comprehensive assessments. In Iran, by contrast, data was unavailable for the second half of the year, leaving a major gap for one of the region’s most disaster-prone countries where significant displacement was reported in previous years. As such, the 26,000 movements recorded for the country should be considered a significant underestimate. 
 
Yemen accounted for more than 80 per cent of the region’s disaster displacements with 492,000, more than double the figure for 2023 and by far the highest on record for the country. As in previous years, most were associated with floods during the rainy season. Al Hodeidah, Hajjah and Ma’rib governorates, which are home to nearly half of the country’s IDPs, were some of the most affected, forcing some people already uprooted by conflict to flee again.
 
The overlapping impacts of conflict and disasters also heightened IDPs’ needs and prolonged their plight. In Ma’rib, which is home to the largest number of people displaced by conflict and violence, floods and high winds damaged more than 70 displacement sites, destroying shelters and worsening water, health and sanitation conditions during a cholera outbreak. In Al Hodeidah, the floods moved landmines and unexploded ordnance, increasing the number of casualties and injuries and hampering aid delivery to those displaced.
 
Iraq recorded the second-highest figure in the region with 46,000 movements, nearly all of which were associated with drought, particularly in Thi-Qar governorate. Drought in several governorates also created challenges for returnees and people already living in displacement, who had less land to cultivate or less water for irrigation. Some had to borrow money or reduce their food expenditure to cope. Some IDPs linked their decisions about whether to return or not to their ability to farm, but some also reported tensions over shared water resources. Drought left more than 170,000 people living in displacement across the country as of the end of the year. 
 
Heavy rainfall caused floods in southern and western Algeria in early September, triggering most of the 15,000 disaster displacements recorded in 2024, the country’s highest figure for floods since 2015. Many movements involved mainly nomadic communities. The Dakhla camp for Sahrawi refugees was also flooded, triggering around 2,600 movements. At least 140 homes were destroyed, prolonging the plight of those displaced.
 
Libya recorded around 13,000 movements, all of them associated with floods. The vast majority took place in mid-Au- gust when rains flooded the towns of Al-Kufra, Rabiana, Ghat and Tahala. Many of those displaced were migrants from other countries who were staying with host communities. The Tripoli region was also flooded later in the year, triggering around 2,100 movements. The National Meteorological Centre issued early warnings and an emergency and preparedness room was set up. Infra- structure including roads and drainage systems was still damaged or destroyed after the years of urban conflict. Around 32,000 people were living in displacement as result of disasters at end of the year. All of them had fled storm Daniel, which hit the country in September 2023, including nearly 30,000 making progress in resolving their situation.
 
The United Arab Emirates experienced its highest rainfall on record in 2024. Areas in and around Dubai and Sharjah cities were inundated in mid-February and mid-April, prompting the authorities to evacuate people. Around 2,100 movements were recorded, the highest disaster displacement figure on record for the country.
 
Global Report on Internal Displacement 2025. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Norwegian Refugee Council. Geneva, Switzerland.