Platform on Disaster Displacement

Every year, millions of people are forced to leave their homes because of floods, tropical storms, droughts, glacier melting, earthquakes and other natural hazards. Many find refuge within their own country, but some have to move abroad. Scientists warn that climate change is projected to increase displacement in the future. Large-scale displacements have devastating effects on people. They create complex challenges that call for urgent partnerships and action beyond traditional silos. The Platform on Disaster Displacement is a State-led initiative working with partners towards better protection for people at risk of or being displaced in the context of disasters and climate change. It was established in 2016 as a State-led initiative to follow up on the work of the Nansen Initiative and to support States and other stakeholders to implement the recommendations of the Nansen Initiative Protection Agenda, endorsed by 109 States in 2015. The Protection Agenda offers a toolbox to better prevent and prepare for displacement before a disaster strikes. When displacement cannot be avoided, it helps States improve their responses to situations when people are forced to find refuge, either within their own country or across an international border.