Internally displaced people (IDPs) have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run at home.
While they may have fled for similar reasons, IDPs stay within their own country and remain under the protection of its government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement. As a result, these people are among the most vulnerable in the worldç
Although UNHCR’s original mandate does not specifically cover IDPs, we have been using our expertise to protect and assist them for years.