What is the difference between a refugee and an IDP?

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence and has crossed an international border. An internally displaced person (IDP) has been forced to flee their home but remains within their own country's borders. As of 2026, UNHCR tracks approximately 37.6 million refugees and 68.3 million IDPs worldwide.

Is this platform free to use?

Yes. Humanity Centered Data is completely free to access. There are no login walls, no paywalls, and no institutional access requirements. All dashboards, datasets, and AI-synthesized briefings are publicly available. We believe humanitarian data should be free and accessible to everyone.

How often is the data updated?

Data is updated daily through automated pipelines that pull from official UN and agency APIs and published datasets. Our systems check for new figures from UNHCR, OCHA, ACLED, and other sources every 24 hours and update dashboards accordingly.

How do I cite Humanity Centered Data in academic work?

You can cite the platform as: Humanity Centered Data. (2026). Quality of Life and Human Well-Being Data. Retrieved from https://humanitycentereddata.com. All individual data points also link back to their original UN or agency source, which you should cite directly for peer-reviewed publications.

Which crisis regions are covered?

We currently provide full dashboards for Syria, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Colombia, Palestine, Georgia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, and Lebanon, with global profiles for 195 countries. New crisis regions are added as displacement situations develop.

What is the difference between a refugee and an IDP?

A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee their country due to persecution, war, or violence and has crossed an international border. An internally displaced person (IDP) has been forced to flee their home but remains within their own country's borders. As of 2026, UNHCR tracks approximately 37.6 million refugees and 68.3 million IDPs worldwide.

Is this platform free to use?

Yes. Humanity Centered Data is completely free to access. There are no login walls, no paywalls, and no institutional access requirements. All dashboards, datasets, and AI-synthesized briefings are publicly available. We believe humanitarian data should be free and accessible to everyone.

How often is the data updated?

Data is updated daily through automated pipelines that pull from official UN and agency APIs and published datasets. Our systems check for new figures from UNHCR, OCHA, ACLED, and other sources every 24 hours and update dashboards accordingly.

How do I cite Humanity Centered Data in academic work?

You can cite the platform as: Humanity Centered Data. (2026). Quality of Life and Human Well-Being Data. Retrieved from https://humanitycentereddata.com. All individual data points also link back to their original UN or agency source, which you should cite directly for peer-reviewed publications.

Which crisis regions are covered?

We currently provide full dashboards for Syria, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, DR Congo, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Colombia, Palestine, Georgia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, and Lebanon, with global profiles for 195 countries. New crisis regions are added as displacement situations develop.

Help Center

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Humanity Centered Data, humanitarian displacement, and how to use our platform for research, journalism, and understanding global crises.

About Humanity Centered Data

Data Sources & Accuracy

Understanding Displacement

Using the Platform

1About Humanity Centered Data

2Data Sources & Accuracy

3Understanding Displacement

4Using the Platform

Related Resources

Displacement Glossary

200+ humanitarian terms defined

Understanding Displacement

Educational guide to displacement

Data Sources

Our methodology & sources

Still have questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our team.

Humanity Centered Data

Making humanitarian data accessible for all

What is Humanity Centered Data?

Humanity Centered Data is a free, open-source humanitarian intelligence platform that tracks 120+ million forcibly displaced people across 11 crisis regions. We aggregate data from UNHCR, OCHA, IOM, ACLED, and other verified UN sources to make displacement data accessible for researchers, journalists, humanitarian workers, and the public.

Our humanity-centered approach puts human dignity, ethics, and impact at the core of data practices. We believe humanitarian data should be free, accessible, and actionable to help displaced populations.

Key Statistics (2026)

120M+ forcibly displaced people tracked worldwide
37.6M refugees under UNHCR mandate
68.3M internally displaced persons (IDPs)
11 crisis countries with detailed dashboards
7+ verified UN data sources integrated

Crisis Regions Covered

Syria - 7.2M IDPs, 6.5M refugees (Civil War since 2011)
Ukraine - 3.7M IDPs, 6.5M refugees (Conflict since 2022)
Sudan - 9.0M IDPs, 1.1M refugees (Civil conflict since April 2023)
Yemen - 4.5M IDPs (Humanitarian crisis since 2014)
DR Congo - 6.9M IDPs, 1.0M refugees (Regional conflicts)
Afghanistan - 6.3M IDPs, 6.4M refugees (Ongoing instability)
Ethiopia - 4.4M IDPs (Regional conflicts and drought)
Somalia - 3.8M IDPs, 800K refugees (Conflict and climate)
Colombia - 5.8M IDPs, 2.9M refugees (Decades-long conflict)
Nigeria - 3.6M IDPs, 430K refugees (Northeast insurgency)
Georgia - 280K IDPs (Protracted displacement since 2008)

Our Services

Humanitarian Data Analytics - Real-time dashboards and visualizations
Displacement Research Tools - Academic resources and datasets
Real-Time Crisis Monitoring - ACLED conflict tracking and daily briefings
Data API & Embeds - Widgets and data exports for integration

Data Sources

We aggregate data from authoritative humanitarian sources: UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), OCHA (UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), IOM (International Organization for Migration), ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data), HDX (Humanitarian Data Exchange), ReliefWeb, IDMC (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre), WFP (World Food Programme), and UNICEF.

Frequently Asked Questions

1About Humanity Centered Data

What is Humanity Centered Data?

Who funds this platform?

Is this platform affiliated with the United Nations?

2Data Sources & Accuracy

Where does your data come from?

How often is the data updated?

How accurate is your data?

Why do different sources show different numbers?

3Understanding Displacement

What is the difference between a refugee and an IDP?

What is the 1951 Refugee Convention?

What is UNHCR?

What is OCHA?

4Using the Platform

Is this data free to use?

Can I download the data?

How do I cite your data in my research?

Can I embed your dashboards on my website?

How do I report a data error?

How can I contribute or partner with you?

Related Resources

Displacement Glossary

Understanding Displacement

Data Sources

Still have questions?