Humanitarian-Development Divide

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More than 66 million people live displaced from their homes around the world, including over 22 million in other countries as refugees. On average refugee status lasts 10 years. Almost 90 per cent of refugees live in developing countries, and they don’t live in refugee camps, but among local populations, creating tensions and straining already struggling economies. Today’s crisis of displacement cannot be solved with traditional short-term humanitarian aid. It also requires long-term development solutions. CGD research helps policy catch up to reality, by suggesting practical ways to bridge the humanitarian-development divide. A focus on innovative financing mechanisms and new actors entering the displacement space also helps unlock research and recommendations toward refugees becoming self-reliant while host communities likewise see development gains achieved.