In Sudan, the 40-year civil war that culminated in the declaration of South Sudan's independence last year contributed to massive urbanisation – despite the absence of industry and commerce. In the past decade, cities and towns in Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Yemen and Haiti have absorbed large numbers of people fleeing conflict or disaster. "The situation in Syria and surrounding countries is a case in point, but there are many other places where people have left home to escape violence." This is not a new trend, but it is one that is increasing," said Barry Armstrong, British Red Cross disaster response manager. ![]() "The mere mention of the term 'refugees' invokes images of tents and camps in most people's minds, but our new report may get us to think differently as we have noted marked movements of refugees into cities. Now, about half of the world's estimated 10.5 million refugees and at least 13 million IDPs are thought to live in urban areas. That marks a change from the 1980s and 1990s, when displacement was synonymous with camps. The report highlights how forced migration has become increasingly "urbanised" as cities and urban areas become the main destinations for refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and those affected by disasters and conflicts. ![]() ![]() It refers not just to people displaced by general conflict but to those displaced by disaster and by development itself – the hidden losers of resettlement projects and increasingly of land grabs." "The headline figure of 70 million – one in every 100 people – is significant in itself. "The nature of forced displacement is much more unpredictable than in the past and much more complex," said Professor Roger Zetter, the report's editor.
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