Internal Displacement and the Threats to Human Security

The Africa Human Security Initiative (AHSI) is organizing a workshop in Nairobi on May 7, 2008, focusing on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Greater Horn of Africa. The document argues that IDPs are a highly vulnerable population often neglected by states due to conceptual debates, lack of political will, and the non-binding nature of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. It highlights the scale of the issue, noting that in 2004, IDP numbers in three specific countries far exceeded refugee numbers in five. The workshop aims to map displacement, assess government capacity, and develop a regional policy document and strategic action plan for managing displacement crises.

• International and governmental responses to internal displacement have remained inadequate; the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement have not been fully translated into action, and governments often fail to protect women and girls from gender-specific violence in IDP camps.
• In the Greater Horn of Africa, the number of IDPs significantly exceeds the number of refugees. For example, in 2004, the total number of IDPs in three countries was higher than the total number of refugees in five countries.
• In Kenya, the number of IDPs increased threefold between January and mid-February 2008, reaching 382,000, although this figure is contested by other organizations such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission and UNOCHA.
• State inaction regarding IDPs is attributed to conceptual disputes over the definition of IDPs, cultural expectations that families should provide support, and the fact that the Guiding Principles are not binding on governments.
• Pastoralist communities face specific displacement challenges driven by climatic changes and the breakdown of traditional governance regarding water and pasture, which is exacerbated by centralized governance and insensitive bureaucracy.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2008). Internal Displacement and the Threats to Human Security. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AHSIIDPCONCEPT.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Internal Displacement and the Threats to Human Security. 2008. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AHSIIDPCONCEPT.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Internal Displacement and the Threats to Human Security |date=29 February 2008 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AHSIIDPCONCEPT.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2008internal, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Internal Displacement and the Threats to Human Security}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2008}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AHSIIDPCONCEPT.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }