Déplacés

Déplacés is a French term used to describe people who are forced to leave their homes but remain inside their own country. In humanitarian and legal contexts, the most common term is personnes déplacées internes and is usually translated as internally displaced persons (IDPs). Déplacés differ from refugees, who have crossed an international border to seek protection. IDPs remain under the protection of their government, but displacement can expose them to insecurity, loss of livelihood, and difficulties in accessing basic services.

Causes include armed conflict, violence, persecution, human rights abuses, and natural or environmental disasters. Development projects that relocate communities, such as dam construction or urban renewal, can also cause displacement. Displacement often results in ongoing humanitarian needs for shelter, food, water, healthcare, education, and protection from violence, including gender-based violence.

Protection and durable solutions are addressed by international law, notably the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998). These principles call for non-discrimination, protection from forcible relocation, access to humanitarian aid, and measures to ensure safety. States bear primary responsibility to prevent displacement and to assist IDPs, while humanitarian actors support relief and the pursuit of durable solutions, such as voluntary return, local integration, or resettlement in another part of the country. Numbers are dynamic and vary by conflict and disaster, but IDPs remain a critical concern in humanitarian policy and planning.