Internal Displacement and Sustainable Development Goals

ABSTRACT This study investigates the links between conflict‐driven internal displacement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Analyzing annual data from 50 nations and territories spanning 2009 to 2022, the findings demonstrate a negative association between conflict‐induced internal displacement and SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (health and well‐being), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), and SDG 8 (economic growth and employment). Specifically, the result indicates that an increase in conflict‐induced internal displacement correspond to an in increase in unemployment rate, food insecurity, and maternal and under‐five mortality rates. Additionally, conflict‐induced internal displacement contributes to a rise in the number of children out of school and hinders access to safely managed drinking water. A 1% increase in conflict‐induced internal displacement is associated with a 0.099% rise in unemployment, a 0.356% increase in food insecurity, a 2.251% increase in children out of primary school, a 0.756% higher maternal mortality rate, and a 0.271% increase in under‐five mortality. Furthermore, the availability of safe drinking water is reduced by 0.055%. These results underscore the detrimental impact of conflict‐induced internal displacement on the socio‐economic fabric of conflict‐affected countries, suggesting that internal displacement presents a substantial barrier to the achievement of SDG targets. Policy interventions in conflict‐affected regions must account for the specific challenges posed by internal displacement in order to mitigate these adverse effects and promote progress towards the SDGs.