Migration

In line with the IOM Regional Strategy for the Middle East and North Africa, RDH MENA plays a central role in strengthening the evidence base on migration to inform strategic, programmatic and policy-level discussions across the region. Through a broad range of data collection, analysis and research initiatives, the RDH works to deepen understanding of the drivers, dynamics and impacts of human mobility in one of the world’s most complex migration contexts.

Migration and mobility continue to shape the social and economic landscape of the MENA region.

The MENA region remains one of the world’s most dynamic mobility landscapes, shaped by a combination of labour migration, protracted displacement, environmental stress and evolving socioeconomic conditions. In 2024, the region hosted 44.1 million international migrants, representing 9.5 per cent of its total population of 465 million. The MENA region remains a major region of origin (with over 40 million nationals living abroad), transit, and destination and continues to experience significant internal displacement, totalling 21.7 million people in the same year.

Displaced populations face increasing threats from fire-related hazards, yet fire safety remains critically overlooked in humanitarian planning. Overcrowding, flammable shelter materials, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to frequent and devastating fire incidents in displacement sites. As climate change intensifies heat and drought conditions, the danger is rising rapidly across displacement contexts globally. In response, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched the Fire Safety in Displacement report, introducing the Fire Risk Index (FRI) - a practical, site-level tool that quantifies fire susceptibility using behavioural, environmental, and climate data. The FRI enables humanitarian actors to assess risks, prioritize mitigation efforts, and inform evidence-based preparedness strategies. Through this report, IOM calls for coordinated global action to address fire risk in displacement settings as an urgent protection and resilience issue.

Fires in displacement sites are a persistent and dangerous reality for millions of people forced from their homes. Despite rising global temperatures and several high-profile incidents, fire preparedness and response remain critically under-addressed in humanitarian response. There is no global system to monitor or reduce fire risk in displacement settings, leaving communities exposed and unprepared for fire emergencies, with no way to understand causes or quantify damage.