The report said conditions in displacement camps remain dire across the country
The United Nations: India at the end of last year had about 526,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), uprooted from their homes due to communal violence and armed conflict, according to a new UN-backed report.
Support for long-term solutions varied significantly between states in 2013, the report said. "Religious charities, madrassas, civil society groups and local communities took the lead in assisting IDPs during 2013…India’s central government does not consider IDPs’ recovery and rehabilitation as part of its mandate," the report claimed. "A national policy or law on IDPs is much needed to address their protection and assistance consistently and effectively, and to provide a framework for steps to facilitate durable solutions," the report said.
The governments of Gujarat, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have made no efforts to assist IDPs, it alleged. The 526,000 IDPs constitute 0.04% of the total population of India.
An estimated 64,000 people were newly displaced in 2013 in India, the report said. The new displacement was mainly triggered by communal violence between Muslims and Hindus in Uttar Pradesh in September which forced around 51,000 people to flee their homes, it said.