Crisis Response

Conflicts, armed violence, disasters, epidemics, pandemics and other crises force millions of people to leave their homes and communities, sometimes for years or even decades. Millions of people are currently living in displacement within and across borders with disasters displacing around 25 million on average each year. Economic downturns, political instability and other drivers also compel large population movements.

As the leading UN agency working on migration, we are committed to saving lives and helping populations move out of harm’s way. We protect and assist those displaced or stranded by crisis, and support populations and their communities to recover. We work to mitigate adverse drivers that force people from their homes, help build resilience and focus on reducing disaster risk so that movement and migration can be a choice.

In Australia, IOM provides crisis response for migrants impacted by migration crises and humanitarian emergencies.

Operations and Emergencies covers IOM’s activities related to resettlement, movement, logistics, preparedness and response in migration crises and humanitarian emergencies through recovery and transitional settings. It involves IOM’s participation in humanitarian responses and provides migration services in emergencies or post-crisis situations to address the needs of individuals and uprooted communities, thereby contributing to their protection.