UNDP – UNHCR partnership

More than 100 million people around the world are forcibly displaced as a result of conflict, human rights violations, and disasters. Refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, and returnees face unique challenges deriving from their status, or lack thereof, and are often deprived of their most basic rights such as the right to live in dignity in a safe and healthy environment.

People who were forced to leave their homes face specific legal problems such as lack of documentation or housing, land and property issues, they can be discriminated in their access to public services or development opportunities and are more likely to be victims of abusive practices and violent crime. Displaced women for example, face higher risks of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV) and are less likely to request or receive protection from law enforcement.

In crisis-affected settings, where rule of law institutions lack the capacities and /or the willingness to deliver justice and security for all, and are not equipped to respond to situations of forced displacement, the risk of exclusion, discrimination and violation of the rights of the forcibly displaced becomes even higher. The protracted nature of displacement and the impact on host communities, if not addressed, also increases the risk of tension and conflict.