Jennifer Welsh on Keeping Internally Displaced People on the Humanitarian Agenda | The Conversation

May 20, 2025 | In a co-authored article for The Conversation, with McGill professor Megan Bradley, Max Bell School Director Jennifer Welsh outlines the growing risk that internally displaced people (IDPs) will be overlooked as global humanitarian aid budgets shrink. Despite outnumbering refugees, IDPs often receive less attention and support—an imbalance Welsh argues must urgently be addressed. Although IDPs outnumber refugees nearly two to one, they often receive less attention and support, especially as the UN system reels from severe funding cuts. Welsh explain how the UNHCR, originally focused on refugees, has taken on a larger role in supporting IDPs—but that leadership is now at risk. The article urges agencies and donors not to not pit refugees and IDPs against each other for resources, but emphasize the need for strong, consistent leadership. Welsh advocates for a renewed, rights-based approach that treats refugee and IDP crises as interconnected, while also prioritizing the empowerment of local and IDP-led initiatives as essential components of sustainable humanitarian responses.