The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released the third edition of its Periodic Global Report on the State of Solutions to Internal Displacement (PROGRESS), offering fresh insights into the realities facing internally displaced persons (IDPs) across East, the Horn, and Southern Africa.

Launched in 2023, the PROGRESS series provides evidence on the conditions that enable IDPs to achieve durable solutions, while supporting governments and partners in implementing the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement.

The PROGRESS 2025 report draws on data from 92,549 households surveyed between 2022 and 2024, examining conditions, vulnerabilities, and progress toward durable solutions for IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

This year’s edition focuses exclusively on the East, Horn, and Southern Africa regions, which are grappling with protracted conflict alongside recurrent floods, droughts, and cyclones that fuel repeated and overlapping displacement.

According to the report, the region hosts more than 25 million IDPs, including 14.8 million people currently living in displacement sites and 10.7 million returnees who continue to face displacement-related vulnerabilities.

Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director for East, the Horn, and Southern Africa, said PROGRESS 2025 aims to shift the conversation beyond humanitarian assistance.

“Our goal is to find a future beyond humanitarian aid, one where internally displaced people can chart their own path with the right support, the right policies, and the right evidence,” Celestin said.

The report analyses displacement trends, solution intentions, and barriers to integration at national and sub-national levels, combining household surveys with key informant interviews. It also features an in-depth spotlight on Somalia, highlighting national leadership in durable solutions data and policy.

Across five countries analysed, 42 percent of IDP households reported an intention to remain in their current location, though preferences vary significantly by country. Local integration is more common in Burundi and Somalia, while in Mozambique, more than half of IDPs reported having no clear plan. In South Sudan, return has remained the preferred solution for the third consecutive year.

“The report helps us and our partners focus investments where they make the biggest difference, from safer housing to livelihoods that last,” Celestin added.

The findings also reveal stark contrasts in living conditions across different contexts. In South Sudan, IDPs living in states where they constitute one-third or more of the population report higher access to healthcare (71 percent) compared to those in states with fewer IDPs (62 percent).

In Somalia, neighbourhood-level data show sharp disparities even within the same federal member state. In Kismayo, 81 percent of IDPs reported positive feelings of integration, compared to just 39 percent in Baardheere.

In several countries, IDPs remain worse off than the host communities. In South Sudan, only 33.2 percent of IDPs reported having secure shelter, compared to 61.9 percent of returnees and host community members.

However, the report also notes that in some contexts, all groups face similar constraints. For example, fewer than half of all households in South Sudan, regardless of displacement status, can afford healthcare.

In Somalia, inadequate housing and limited employment opportunities affect both IDPs and host communities, underscoring the need for area-based approaches that benefit entire populations rather than displaced groups alone.

Gender disparities remain pronounced. The report shows that female-headed households face heightened vulnerabilities, particularly in South Sudan, where they are more likely to depend on precarious livelihoods and less able to afford healthcare.

In Somalia, only 38 percent of female-headed IDP households have overcome most displacement-related vulnerabilities, compared to 45 percent of male-headed households. While access to healthcare and education has improved across the countries studied, a persistent shelter gap continues to undermine long-term solutions.

Laura Nistri, IOM’s Global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Coordinator, emphasized the importance of data-driven approaches as African governments advance policies on displacement.

“As governments move forward, without timely and reliable data, progress remains invisible,” Nistri said. “To deliver on the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda, we need to track where IDPs are, what they need, and whether solutions are working.”

Previous PROGRESS editions, based on multi-regional household surveys, similarly found that IDPs face distinct vulnerabilities, particularly female-headed households, and that housing, livelihoods, and security play a decisive role in shaping solution preferences.

Over time, employment and livelihoods have emerged as increasingly critical factors, with most IDPs preferring to remain in their current locations, especially those displaced by climate-related disasters rather than conflict, reinforcing the case for integrated, area-based development responses.