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“Yes, I was forced because I needed assistance.

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“Yes, I was forced because I needed assistance.

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  1. Experiences of displacementand protection of Somalis & Ethiopians in Kenya, Egypt & YemenPresented by: Dr. VikramKolmannskog, Consultant to NRCBased on the report Disaster-Related Displacement from the Horn of AfricaBy Dr. Vikram Kolmannskog and Dr. Tamer AfifiPresentation at the Nansen Initiative Regional Consultation,Nairobi, 21-23 May 2014

  2. “Yes, I was forced because I needed assistance. No, nobody forced me to leave,” said Aden (27, Dadaab) “During previous droughts, we could live off  livestock or even sell livestock to survive. Now all the livestock was dying – even donkeys. It is the worst drought I have experienced,” said Yussuf (72, Dadaab). “Since there are two reasons, we accept them. The fighting is the reason considered,” said a Kenyan Department of Refugee Affairs interviewee.

  3. “I would prefer to have some livestock and a small farm here or trade animals since I am used to livestock and farming,” said Yussuf (72, Dadaab). “I don’t know anyone here. I am depending on the good will of strangers for food and shelter. I am sleeping outside with my child. We are afraid,” said Fatima (21, Dadaab).

  4. “I believe drought and civil war are twins that have come together to plague my country” said Ahmed (32, Cairo). “I told them [UNHCR] how I lost family members in the drought and fighting. Now I am waiting to have my case decided,” said Ahmed (32, Cairo). “I do anything to survive here. It is tough since foreigners are not really allowed to work. We work with Egyptians. Most of them are good people,” said Ahmed (32, Cairo). “One of the main challenges is that all of us are very depressed. We are in between. If we try to go to Europe, we die in the Mediterranean. In Somalia we die of conflict and drought,” said Ahmed (32, Cairo).

  5. “Originally they [Somalilanders] said they were from South Central Somalia. When we found out that this was not correct, they admitted that they were from Somaliland and could not go home due to the drought and lack of economic opportunities,” said a UNHCR interviewee in Cairo. “We can understand that they don’t want to go home, but no resettlement country would take them either. They would rather go back to Libya or try to get smuggled elsewhere than go back I think.”

  6. Somalis and Ethiopians in Yemen spoke of droughts and floods as well as ethnic and political marginalisation and persecution as reasons for leaving home. Another major motivation was the search for better livelihoods in Saudi Arabia and Gulf states. Trafficking was a major risk. Islamic norms of hospitality may complement the 1951 Refugee Convention. In Bassateen, Aden, the local mosque helps provide assistance to all those who have moved there and are in need.

  7. “My children are now in school and get an education so that they can work. This is my hope for the future,” said Fatima Y. (30, Dadaab). “They say that everyone wants resettlement. Not me. As long as I am not home, I am losing time. If there is security and I had a ticket in my hand, I would return home today,” said Ahmed (32, Cairo).

  8. Conclusions and recommendations I Interviewees were influenced in their movement by natural hazard-related disasters. Often natural factors interacted with social and political factors in creating a disaster, such as the 2011 drought and famine, as well as triggering displacement. Livelihood interventions are necessary as well as addressing the complex conflicts and political situations. Some experienced challenges in reaching their destination due to inter alia border controls and trafficking.

  9. Conclusions and recommendations II Refugee status was applied for Somalis in Kenya and Yemen and is appropriate when there are political or other “unnatural” factors contributing to disasters and displacement. In other cases, such as the Somalis in Egypt and Ethiopians in Yemen, people risk falling on the outside of refugee law. There were also social and economic obstacles in accessing and succeeding with the asylum process, including lack of knowledge and resources. Islamic norms called for more generous protection in places such as Yemen, and there may be much potential in exploring such norms in the context of disasters.

  10. Conclusions and recommendations III While displaced, people were mainly concerned about limited rights to work and lack of livelihood options. Other regular concerns referred to shelter, food security, education, access to health care, security – including against gender-related violence – and durable solutions such as resettlement. Possibilities in existing int’l, regional, state and local law should be fully exploited. Facilitating labour migration and establishing regional and bi-lateral disaster displacement mechanismsshould be further explored. Contextual factors such as material conditions, public opinion and political mobilisation need to be addressed if formal law and policies are to become effective.

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