Conflict Induced Internally Displaced Persons in Nepal: Popular Estimation or Numbers Game?

The armed conflict between Maoist Insurgents and government security forces (1996 to 2006) has resulted in the internal displacement of many Nepal’s citizens, most particularly those from the remote districts to district headquarters, regional and capital cities following the declaration of a state of emergency in 2001. The qualitative methodology adopted, using the ethnographic approach, to conduct this research involves informal discussion, participant observation, focus group discussion and in depth interviews. This paper argues that there is lack of consensus as to the definition of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), as to their number (with estimates ranging from 25,000 to 400,000), as to how their needs should be addressed, and who should be responsible to address them. The official government definition of an IDP only includes those who declare themselves as victims of Maoist violent activities, excluding all those displaced by activities of the state’s security forces. The paper also examines the accuracy and reliability of empirical data estimated by different agencies. It is argued that the government of Nepal has not clearly acknowledged the existence of large numbers of displaced persons in the past, nor has there been an explicit definition of the term internally displaced persons that all parties accept.