War and violence displaced a record-breaking 38 million people within their home countries in 2014 – a figure equivalent to the total population of London, New York and Beijing combined.
Sixty per cent came from just five countries: Iraq, South Sudan, Syria, theDemocratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria. All have been wracked by war or the metastasising effects of jihadist violence.
The figures were released on Wednesday, as part of a new report by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Jan Egeland, the organisation's secretary general, said the displacement was the worst in a generation.
"Global diplomats, UN resolutions, peace talks and ceasefire agreements have lost the battle against ruthless armed men who are driven by political or religious interests rather than human imperatives," said Mr Egeland.
Internally displaced children play near their tents in Rihaniyya camp, Syria (Reuters)
After four years of fighting in Syria, the ravages of war have internally displaced at least 40 per year of the population. Civilians are often forced to stay on the move, seeking shelter in areas where the most basic resources are dwindling.
The Syrian war has also sparked huge outflows across the Middle East.
The United Nations has officially registered almost four million refugees outside of Syria's borders. Many are swept into lucrative people smuggling rackets and eventually packed on rickety boats for the perilous trip to Europe.
According to NRC figures, Iraq suffered most new displacement in 2014, with at least 2.2 million people fleeing from areas that fell under Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) control.
Refugees from Debaltseve escaping pro-Russain rebels shelling (AFP)
And for the first time in more than a decade, Europe also witnessed massive enforced displacement, this time caused by the war in Ukraine. At least 646,500 people fled their homes, the report said.
A young Ukranian woman, Luda Zdorovetz, told NRC's researchers that she now divides her life into "before and after".
"Before the war, I was working in marketing ... Life was quiet and peaceful. Then the war came to our towns and turned everything upside-down," she said.
Volker Turk, the UN refugee agency's assistant high commissioner for protection, said that the staggering number of internally displaced people worldwide suggested that more will brave these journeys in the future.
"The longer a conflict lasts, the more insecure they feel and when hopelessness sets in, many will cross borders and become refugees," he said.
The NRC report also highlighted how the long-lasting effects of previous conflicts contributed to last year's alarmingly high global total. In nearly 90 per cent of country's surveyed, there were people living in displacement for ten years or more.
Wali Khan, an Afghan man who left his home in Kandahar 14 years ago, spoke of devastating conditions within Kabul's informal settlements.
"We bury so many babies who die from the cold, I've lost count," he said. "We feel hopeless."
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