Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, storms, droughts, and wildfires force millions of people around the world to leave their homes every year, resulting in the phenomenon of internal forced displacement. This displacement is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges facing the contemporary world. According to the Global Report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC, 2025), there is a record number of more than 83 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide, a significant portion of which is attributed to natural disasters. Many internally displaced persons, due to being uprooted from their habitual residences, are often highly vulnerable individuals who find themselves in long-term situations of fragility, dependency, and legal insecurity. They frequently face either a lack of opportunity or active deprivation of the means to rebuild their lives. In the absence of adequate and effective protection of their human rights, they may even, in certain cases, become exposed to international crimes. Given the vulnerability of internally displaced persons, this article provides a comprehensive examination of the concept of internal displacement in the context of natural disasters, focusing on the impacts of this phenomenon on vulnerable individuals, the legal obligations of states to protect them, and international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) and the Kampala Convention (2009). It further analyzes the human rights protection gaps and the challenges of implementing state obligations in this regard, and proposes recommendations to enhance protection mechanisms. The study is developed through a human rights–based approach, grounded in international legal instruments and United Nations reports.

Abstract

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, storms, droughts, and wildfires force millions of people around the world to leave their homes every year, resulting in the phenomenon of internal forced displacement. This displacement is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges facing the contemporary world. According to the Global Report of the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC, 2025), there is a record number of more than 83 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide, a significant portion of which is attributed to natural disasters. Many internally displaced persons, due to being uprooted from their habitual residences, are often highly vulnerable individuals who find themselves in long-term situations of fragility, dependency, and legal insecurity. They frequently face either a lack of opportunity or active deprivation of the means to rebuild their lives. In the absence of adequate and effective protection of their human rights, they may even, in certain cases, become exposed to international crimes. Given the vulnerability of internally displaced persons, this article provides a comprehensive examination of the concept of internal displacement in the context of natural disasters, focusing on the impacts of this phenomenon on vulnerable individuals, the legal obligations of states to protect them, and international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) and the Kampala Convention (2009). It further analyzes the human rights protection gaps and the challenges of implementing state obligations in this regard, and proposes recommendations to enhance protection mechanisms. The study is developed through a human rights–based approach, grounded in international legal instruments and United Nations reports.