Some 9.6 million people had been displaced in 12 countries in eastern Africa by end of March either as refugees or internally displaced persons, according to the UN humanitarian agency.

In the Displaced Populations Report released in Nairobi, on Saturday, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) eastern Africa said the number represents a decrease of 328,066 individuals since the end of September 2013, when there were 9.9 million people displaced in the region.

Of the total displaced population, 2.28 million are refugees, while 7.29 million are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and people severely affected by conflict.

The report highlights the status of displacement for both refugees and internally displaced persons in eastern Africa between September 30, 2013 and March 31.

It says the number of IDPs reduced by 6 per cent (464,011 people) during the last six months due to a notable reduction in the total IDP figures for DR Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia, against a significant increase of more than 405 per cent (more than 640,000 people) in South Sudan.

The DR Congo burden

DR Congo, Sudan, Somalia and South Sudan continue to record the highest number of IDPs and persons severely affected by conflict at an estimated 2.6 million, 2.0 million, 1.1 million and 0.8 million people respectively.

Insecurity in DR Congo has further compelled an estimated 400,000 Congolese to live as refugees in neighbouring countries.

The report shows that Uganda hosts 46 per cent (171,126) of the entire Congolese refugee population in the region, while 99 per cent of the total refugee populations in Rwanda and in Burundi are of Congolese origin.

Ethiopia and Uganda each hosted more than 35 per cent of the South Sudanese refugee caseload (254,600) in the region, it says.

Kenya and Ethiopia currently host the largest refugee numbers at 487,367 and 524,540 refugees respectively while Somalia with over 960,000 Somalis in the region is now the third-highest refugee-generating country after Afghanistan and Syria.

The report indicates that displacement trends in the eastern Africa region continue to be driven by internal conflicts, inter-communal fighting and generalised insecurity.