Dashboard/Fact Sheet

Environmental change is increasingly recognized as a central and cross-cutting issue globally and in West and Central Africa (WCA) in particular. However, comprehensive data on environmental migration is lacking, hindering the in-depth understanding of the links between environmental change, disasters, and migration in WCA.  

According to the IOM’s definition, “environmental migrants are persons or groups of persons who, predominantly for reasons of sudden or progressive change in the environment that adversely affects their lives or living conditions, are obliged to leave their habitual homes, or choose to do so, either temporarily or permanently, and who move either within their country or abroad” making the essential criterion to identify environmental migrants to require that environmental phenomena play a predominant role in the migration decision.

This first dashboard aims at providing detailed information and evidence on people on the move in the context of disasters, climate change, and environmental degradation.

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the movement trends involving Afghan returnees from Pakistan. The assessment was conducted from January to December 2023 and employs the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology across several Border Crossing Points (BCPs) to analyse movement trends of Afghan returnees from Pakistan. IOM collected data from 23,860 household heads, representing 558,212 Afghan nationals.

The report highlights the significant increase in the number of returnees following the enactment of Pakistan's "Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP)," which led to a marked spike in movements during the fourth quarter of 2023. It also details the demographics and vulnerabilities of the returnees, showing that a substantial number are undocumented or hold invalid documentation.

Additionally, the report examines the socio-economic impacts on the returnees, such as changes in their source of income and types of residence before and after their return. It further notes the challenges returnees anticipate in Afghanistan, including finding employment, securing shelter, and reintegrating into society.

Due to an observed , increase in inflows to Sinjar and Al- districts trigged by social tension between Yazidis and other residents, the International Organization for (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Iraq launched an emergency tracking tool in April 2023 to understand the number of people in movement and their main characteristics.

Due to an increasing number of evictions announced for families in informal settlements, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Iraq launched an emergency tracking tool in September 2023 to understand the number of affected people and their main characteristics

Le conflit entre les Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) et le groupe de M23 s’est intensifié depuis mars 2022, entraînant une grave crise humanitaire dans la région. La violence continue a contraint un grand nombre de personnes à quitter leurs foyers, cherchant refuge dans des communautés d’accueil et des sites improvisés dans des régions telles que Goma, Nyiragongo, Rutshuru et Masisi. Avec plus de 100 sites établis pour accueillir ces populations déplacées, cette situation laisse présager le besoin urgent d’assistance et d’intervention humanitaires. En réponse à cette crise, l’Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM) a lancé son programme de coordination et de gestion des camps (CCCM) visant à améliorer la coordination entre les différents acteurs et services opérant dans ces sites ainsi que sa matrice de suivi des déplacements (DTM), afin de gérer efficacement les informations cruciales nécessaires à l’acheminement de l’aide et au plaidoyer en faveur du soutien aux personnes touchées par le conflit.

Du 21 mars au 7 avril, la DTM a mené des activités de vérification en parallèle aux enregistrements pour mettre à jour les données en réponse à l’afflux de populations dans les sites, à la suite d'une recrudescence de la violence observée en janvier 2024. En étroite collaboration avec des partenaires étatiques tels que la Commission Nationale pour les Réfugiés (CNR) et la Division Provinciale des Actions Humanitaires et de la Solidarité Nationale du Nord-Kivu (DIVAH-SN), la DTM s’est concentrée sur l’évaluation de 88 sites identifiés dans le cadre du programme CCCM de l’OIM comme étant un groupe de sites situés le long de l’axe Kanyaruchinya.

The conflict between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the M23 group has intensified since March 2022, leading to a serious humanitarian crisis in the region. The ongoing violence has forced large numbers of people to leave their homes, seeking refuge in host communities and makeshift sites in regions such as Goma, Nyiragongo, Rutshuru and Masisi. With over 100 sites set up to accommodate these displaced populations, the situation points to an urgent need for humanitarian assistance and intervention. In response to this crisis, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched its Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) program to improve coordination between the various actors and services operating in these sites, as well as its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to effectively manage the crucial information needed to deliver assistance and advocate support for those affected by the conflict.

From 21 March to 7 April, DTM carried out verification activities in parallel with registration to update data in response to the influx of populations into the sites, that followed an upsurge in violence observed in January 2024. Working closely with state partners such as the Commission Nationale pour les Réfugiés (CNR) and the Division Provinciale des Actions Humanitaires et de la Solidarité Nationale du Nord-Kivu (DIVAH-SN), DTM focused on assessing 88 sites identified under IOM's CCCM program as a group of sites located along the Kanyaruchinya axis.

Due to an increasing number of evictions announced for families in informal settlements, the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in Iraq launched an emergency tracking tool in September 2023 to understand the number of affected people and their main characteristics.

Over the course of decades marked by conflict, Afghanistan has experienced significant movement across its borders with neighboring countries the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan. This movement, influenced by linguistic, geographical, and economic factors, has played a crucial role in shaping regional dynamics and fostering cultural ties between these countries. With 4.5 million Afghan nationals currently living in the Islamic Republic of Iran and 3.2 million currently living in Pakistan1, Afghan nationals not only seek economic opportunities, international protection and safety in these countries, but often visit family or participate in short-term travel for health and other reasons. In late 2023, policies and statements by officials in both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan called for the expulsion of undocumented foreigners, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals. Developments such as these recent policies targeting Afghan migrants have impacted movements to Afghanistan, as seen late last year when returns from Pakistan increased following the announcement of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP),” setting a deadline for unregistered or undocumented foreigners to voluntarily return to their countries or face deportation.

In response to these recent movements, IOM Afghanistan re-launched its DTM Flow Monitoring (FM) activity at the beginning of 2024 to provide critical insights into current mobility dynamics at Afghanistan’s borders. Flow Monitoring is designed to track the scale and characteristics of human mobility along the borders, including volume, intended destinations, reasons for movement, and intended lengths of stay. From January to the end of March 2024, DTM counted 567,411 individuals entering Afghanistan, 406,919 leaving Afghanistan, and interviewed 49,441 regarding their reasons for movement and intentions. The following report provides findings from DTM’s Flow Monitoring exercises for the first three months of data collection, examining trends and profiles among inflow and outflow groups to inform better targeted response mechanisms. 

The report is structured in four sections. The first section, “Cumulative Flow Trends,” gives an overview of the total inflow and outflow numbers and trends between January and March. This section is linked to DTM’s Flow Monitoring Counting exercise (see details in “Methodology and Limitations”). The second and third sections, “Mobility Dynamics: The Islamic Republic of Iran” and “Mobility Dynamics: Pakistan” explore findings from interviews with people leaving and entering Afghanistan via borders with the Islamic Republic of Iran and with Pakistan, respectively. These sections are followed by “Mobility Dynamics:  Conclusions” which summarizes and analyzes the findings from the interviews. These last three sections are linked to DTM’s Flow Monitoring Surveys exercise (see details in “Methodology and Limitations”). 

• In March there were reports of affected people due to Heavy Storms or Hailstorms in the districts of Kanungu (8,620), Namisindwa (825), Bunyangabu (580), Buikwe (262), Mubende (40) and Wakiso (25). In Kampala (24) and Bundibugyo (5) were reports of affected people due to fires, while in Buikwe nine people were affected by a transport-related accident.
• The impacts of the hazards affected 10,390 individuals (2,387 households), with 426 people from 91 households were internally displaced. Children below the age of 18 were the most affected age group (67%), followed by adults (18-64) at 30% and elderly above 64 (3%). Notably, more than half of affected people were female (62%).
• Urgent needs identified include sanitation, nonfood items, food assistance among others. Infrastructure damage assessed indicated that 213 houses were partially damaged, 41 houses were completely destroyed, 5 schools, 1 water facility and 1 health facility were affected.

Since end of February 2024, the security situation has deteriorated in the Metropolitan Area of Port-Au-Prince (MAPAP), the capital of Haiti. In addition to creating displacement within the MAPAP, generalized insecurity are pushing more and more people to leave the capital to find refuge in provinces, taking the risks of passing through gangs-controlled routes. In order to monitor these movements towards provinces and inform appropriate response strategies, DTM has launched data collection at several of the most used bus stations in the capital (see page 5 for more details on the methodology). In one month of implementation of this activity (since 8 March), movements of 94,821 people leaving the MAPAP have been observed  (see pages 3 and 4 for more details on their profile). The majority of them (58%) took means of transport heading towards the Grand Sud departments (Grande’Anse, South, Nippes and South-East). It should be noted that this region already hosts more than 116,000 people who had in vast majority, fled the MAPAP in recent months (see the report on displacement in the Grand Sud). Half of flows headed towards 3 main destination municipalities: Jérémie (in Grande’Anse), Les Cayes (South) and Léogâne (West).

It should be emphasized that provinces do not have sufficient infrastructures and host communities do not have sufficient resources that can enable them to cope with these massive displacement flows coming from the capital.

It should be noted that at the beginning of March, when the security situation worsened, people who were already internally displaced (IDPs) were the first to begin leaving the capital. Over time, more and more people who were not IDPs are also leaving: as of 10 March, 86% of people leaving the MAPAP were IDPs. One month later, this percentage dropped to 60%, while almost 40% were those who had never fled their residence and who decide to leave it and seek refuge in provinces. This further describes the deterioration of the situation in the capital, given that leaving the capital could be a relatively quicker decision to make for a person who was already displaced than for someone who was still in their residence and decides to leave it for seek refuge in provinces.