Attachments
Overview
At the end of September 2023, Southern Africa hosts around 9.3 million people that UNHCR has the mandate to protect. They include 776,000 refugees, 204,000 asylum-seekers, 32,800 others of concern, 7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) induced by conflicts. To that figures, it should be noted that 700 refugees and 1.4 million IDPs have returned during the reporting period. In addition, 1 million people displaced as a result of climate change and disaster. The most significant change is the increase in the number of conflict induced IDPs by 339,000 since August 2023. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosts 85 per cent of the population in the region.
Refugees, Asylum-Seekers and Others of Concern
There are 1 million refugees, asylum-seekers and others of concern hosted in the region and 75 per cent originate from countries outside Southern Africa region. The top five countries of origin are: Central African Republic (246,500), Rwanda (238,400), Democratic Republic of the Congo (221,900), Burundi (88,300) and South Sudan (53,500).
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
In the Southern Africa region, 87 per cent of the internally displacements is caused by conflicts. Around 1.4 million individuals returned from internal displacement in DRC and Mozambique due to durable solutions. IDPs induced by conflicts are reported in DRC and Mozambique, and IDPs induced by disaster are reported in DRC, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe