Report launch: Displaced in cities

Internal displacement is increasingly urban. Significant efforts have been made to develop an adequate humanitarian response to displacement in urban settings in the last few years, but major improvements to address people's needs and help them regain their autonomy are still needed. This round table, organized to launch our report Displaced in cities; Experiencing and responding to urban internal displacement outside camps, brings together different actors working to improve the response to urban internal displacement.

Background

Internal displacement is more and more urban, in part because increasingly populated cities are the theatre of armed conflict and violence, but also because people flee from rural to urban areas, reflecting global urbanisation trends. People flee to cities hoping to find safety, but also access to services, livelihoods, social networks and support from relatives and friends, and, eventually, humanitarian assistance. Arriving in cities, most receive limited support and struggle to meet their basic needs. A holistic understanding of how to address needs in the short and longer term, in addition to tackling community needs and supporting urban systems, and how to bring these critical dimensions of the response together, is key to improving the response.
Displaced in cities explores the experiences of people internally displaced in urban settings, outside camps, and their hosts. It also examines the humanitarian response, identifying promising approaches and challenges, and reflects on more effective ways of meeting the needs and expectations of people affected.