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Development aid cuts by wealthy nations are significantly increasing global displacement, warned Amy Pope, head of the UN's International Organization for Migration, in an interview with AFP.

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When we see cuts in development assistance, we're actually just making the likelihood that people will have to leave in search of safety, in search of stability, so much higher.

Pope stated that reduced assistance compels people to leave their homes in search of safety and stability. She pointed to Sudan, experiencing the world's largest displacement crisis due to war, as an example where decreasing humanitarian support drives more people to seek opportunities abroad. She also noted the impact of climate change, which causes displacement through rising sea levels threatening Pacific island states and storms in the Philippines, alongside prolonged drought in Africa.

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We've seen it in places like Sudan, which is the world's largest displacement crisis as a result of the war there.

Several Western countries, including the United States and European nations, have reduced their development aid budgets in recent years while simultaneously tightening migration policies. Pope argued that these "short-term decisions," often made to appease domestic political pressures, may not serve countries well in the long term. She advocated for connecting aid to human mobility in ways that are "humane and dignified," offering people agency and opportunity to reduce large-scale movements.

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In order to respond to domestic political pressures, many countries are making "short-term decisions... that may not ultimately serve (them) in the long term.

Pope highlighted that most displacement happens within countries, not across borders, citing IOM data of 304 million international migrants and over 700 million internal migrants by mid-2024. She called on wealthier nations, which bear the greatest responsibility for climate change, to increase investment in stability and options for displaced people, urging action before emergencies arise. "Let's make the investments now," she implored.

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The more we can connect assistance to the movement of people in ways that are humane and dignified, ways that give people agency and opportunity, the less likely we're going to see large patterns of movement.