Proper accommodation of refugees is constructive

September 21, 2011
By Elias Mhegera
CONTAINING the desperate population due to the drought in the Horn of Africa has been one of the major challenges to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

According to the weekly report covering from 13 September 19 which was issued on Wednesday this week,
The host communities must be prepared to accommodate the refugees in order to develop good relationship.

Tanzania has been one of the most affected countries due to a big influx of refugees who have not only brought security threats but also environmental degradation. The
IOM’s Impact Assessment on Host Communities in Kenya and Ethiopia has revealed that there are possibilities of resource based conflicts which must be contained well in hand.

IOM is also working with stakeholders to fill gaps identified in needs assessments related to shelter (with UNHCR); livelihood programmes; and medical assistance, capacity-building and primary care services (in support of ARRA, the Ethiopian government refugee agency.)

This organization has realized that it is worthy to develop good relations between the refugees and the host community. This is effective in peace-building, safe migration and psycho-social activities among the indigenous people and the refugee community.

In 2010, IOM began implementing a programme to help support and revive livelihood systems among pastoralist and refugee in host communities in order to respond to climate change and the refugee influx in Northern Kenya.

This was done after realizing that vulnerable people in these communities are subject to resource-based conflicts and irregular migration including human smuggling. To counter these actions and to consolidate gains made through livelihood interventions, IOM’s programme also strengthened the District Peace Committee throughout the country.

Due to the nature of the problem in this area, IOM’s Drought Response has built its substantial capacity and implementation of over 30 programmes in the Horn of Africa countries of Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

It has prioritized its work with lead agencies, partners and government counterparts to develop a transportation network to bring vulnerable populations arriving at border crossing points and informal settlements to better-serviced camps, ensuring medical screening and lifesaving referral services as part of transport assistance.


One strategy that is being used in order to engage the local communities is through incorporating the local personnel in the administration, but also to increase the community’s ownership of livelihood interventions.

To that end the local communities have been also benefiting in the transportation networks that are under the control of IOM. These movements include those from the Reception Centre to the Transit Centre and from the Transit Centre to the camps.

IOM’s Drought Response builds on its substantial capacity and implementation of over 30 programmes in the Horn of Africa countries of Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.