Displacement globally has been rising steadily for the past decade and shows no signs of slowing. By the end of June 2023, the United Nations Refugee Agency reported that 110-million people had been forcibly displaced - a figure which has already proven to be a significant underestimate.

At the same time, displacement is stubbornly protracted, and ‘durable solutions’ to displacement remain elusive: almost three in every four refugees are in situations of protracted displacement. In this context, it is imperative to support forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) to establish and sustain viable livelihoods. This not only enhances their own self-reliance, as well as the vitality of their local communities, but it also serves as a critical measure to bridge the persistent funding gap present in nearly every humanitarian response worldwide.

This global evidence review draws together different data sets and information – from the numbers, drivers and locations of displacement to the types of livelihoods interventions used in displacement contexts and how they are financed – to provide a comprehensive picture of the displacement livelihoods landscape.

It is one component of a three-part research project undertaken by HPG on behalf of the IKEA Foundation, with the other two components being a case study on internally displaced persons and returnees in Mogadishu, Somalia, and a policy brief on funding livelihood interventions.

Report by the Overseas Development Institute