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ICRC issues special report on internally displaced people

12 November 2009 12:49 (UTC +04:00)

Geneva â€“ APA. More action is needed to assist and protect people displaced within their own countries by armed conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said in its special report on internally displaced people (IDPs), the ICRC drew attention to the fact that most displaced people do not end up in camps but are taken in by host communities and families, ICRC media relations centre told APA. The findings of an opinion survey carried out by the ICRC in eight countries, published in a report entitled â€œOur world. Views from the fieldâ€, show that over half of those directly affected by armed conflict have been displaced. The survey reveals that displacement, separation from family members and economic hardship are among the most common experiences and greatest fears of those surveyed.
In 2008, some 3.77 million internally displaced people benefited from humanitarian activities carried out by the ICRC, often in partnership with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in 36 countries including Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sudan. From January to May 2009, 1.4 million benefited. The ICRC provides displaced people with food and essential household items, livelihood and agriculture support, and emergency water, sanitation and health-care services.