A/71/254 C. The need for disaggregated data 22. Although some studies on specific displacement situations affecting minorities do exist, the Special Rapporteur has observed that there is a lack of accurate, global, disaggregated data that would allow for a clearer global picture of how minorities are affected by humanitarian crises, whether driven by conflict or owing to disasters. While some ad hoc case studies are available on specific situations, much work remains to be done to better document this phenomenon globally through the collection of comprehensive disaggregated data. 23. The Special Rapporteur is aware that there are a number of reasons underlying the lack of readily available data in this field. First, there is the likely reluctance of minorities displaced or affected by crises to identify themselves as ethnic, national, religious or linguistic minorities for fear of further discrimination or violence. Second, States may be unwilling to collect such data, insofar as they do not recognize the affected minority group members as citizens, do not recognize their minority status, do not recognize they have been displaced or do not want to draw attention to specific difficulties faced by members of their societies. Finally, in displacement contexts, humanitarian agencies tend to disaggregate data mainly by sex and age, and rarely address other categories, including minority status or special needs. The lack of accurate data and needs assessment of specific groups such as minorities has therefore had an impact on the ability to develop humanitarian programmes that target and address comprehensively discrimination facing minorities in the context of crises. 24. Greater research and data is therefore required to reveal the full impact of humanitarian crises and disasters on minority communities. In particular, it is necessary to disaggregate data not only by sex and age but also by diversity categories, such as ethnicity and religion that should be determined by contextual realities. Such information, fully adhering to international standards of data protection and use, should be voluntary, and would help to pre dict and prevent disproportionate impacts of crises conflicts and disasters against certain communities and contribute to the development of much -needed risk assessment and early warning mechanisms. D. Defining humanitarian crises 25. A humanitarian crisis can be defined as the experience of a country, region or society of a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing United Nations country programme. 26. At the national level, this may involve internal armed conflict or hostilities within a State. At the international level, this may involve international armed conflict between two or more armed forces of different countries. Such outbreaks of conflict may cause large-scale mass movements of people, as they flee violence and chaos. This can lead to internal displacement, as well as international migration flows, as affected individuals and communities flee their homes within their own country as internally displaced persons, or migrate abroad, including through 16-13193 9/25