Global Disasters Uprooted Tens of Millions in 2012

Floods, storms and earthquakes forced 32.4 million people to flee their homes

At least 32.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2012 by floods, storms and earthquakes,  according to a new report released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC).

8 Mega Disasters, events causing more than one million
people to lose their homes, accounted for 68% of all global
displacement in 2012. —IDMC

• Asia and west and central Africa were the worst affected regions, however, at least 1.3 million were displaced in rich countries, with the USA particularly affected, said the report.

• “98% of all displacement in 2012 was related to climate- and weather-related events, with flood disasters in India and Nigeria accounting for 41% of global displacement in 2012. In India, monsoon floods displaced 6.9 million, and in Nigeria 6.1 million people were newly displaced. While over the past five years 81% of global displacement has occurred in Asia, in 2012 Africa had a record high for the region of 8.2 million people newly displaced, over four times more than in any of the previous four years.”

Top ten countries with most displacement in 2012. Source: Global estimates 2012| People displaced by disasters

• United States was among the top ten countries with the highest levels of new displacement, with nearly one million people being forced to abandon their homes in 2012.

• Displacement in poorer countries accounted for 98% of the global five year total, the report said.

In 2012, an estimated 32.4 million people in 82 countries
were newly displaced by disasters; 144 million over five years

Top 20 countries with the most displacement over 2008-2012. Source: Global estimates 2012| People displaced by disasters – IDMC

• “In countries already facing the effects of conflict and food insecurity such as in Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Sudan, we observe a common theme” says Clare Spurrell, Chief Spokesperson for IDMC. “Here, vulnerability to disaster triggered by floods is frequently further compounded by hunger, poverty and violence; resulting in a ‘perfect storm’ of risk factors that lead to displacement.″

A villager sits in front of his destroyed house after floodwaters receded on July 22, 2012 in Beijing, China. Photo: ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFoto-Press via Getty Images/IDMC report.

The vast majority of this displacement (98 per cent in 2012;
83 per cent over five years) was triggered by climate- and
 weather-related hazards such as floods, storms and wildfires.
2012 had the lowest level of dis-placement due to geophysical 
disasters for five years; around 680,000 people were displaced
by earthquake and volcanic eruption disasters.

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 14, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,033 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,033 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
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