As UNHCR and other agencies move away from their former depiction of refugees as helpless victims of circumstances dependent on the charity of others, the term 'livelihood' has entered the discourse of refugee assistance. This has been accompanied by a…
How can microfinance programmes contribute to the livelihood strategies of refugees? There are some important lessons to be learnt from the programme carried out by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, from 1992 to 2003. The…
Azerbaijan is home to 575,000 IDPs who left Nagorny Karabakh and surrounding districts in the early 1990s. According to the UN and World Bank, 70% live below the income poverty line (US$24 per person per month). Azerbaijan's new oil and…
A year and a half after its launch Convention Plus' three components are moving forward at different paces. None of the promised 'special arrangements' are in place. When they come on stream will refugees be better protected or will this…
Asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat - mostly Iraqi, Afghan, Iranian and Palestinian refugees - are subject to mandatory detention in one of seven immigration detention centres. Immigration guidelines demand that all people who come to Australia without…
Zambia has been a generous host to Angolan refugees. The arrival of the first 4,000 Angolan refugees in Zambia in 1996 led to the establishment of two refugee settlements, Mayukwayukwa in Western Province and Lwatembo in North Western Province. Both…
This article introduces an innovative approach to measuring the protection and assistance needs of IDPs in data-scarce and conflict-prone environments. Drawing on the experience of a recent vulnerability assessment undertaken in 'un-cleared' areas of Sri Lanka, it outlines eight key…
Microcredit and savings schemes are operated in a number of refugee situations, ranging from camp-based local integration programmes to interventions for urban refugees and support to returning refugees in the context of reintegration and rehabilitation programmes. However, only limited analysis…
The Guiding Principles are based on existing human rights and humanitarian law treaties and conventions. Most countries with an IDP population have ratified them and are therefore bound to respect the rights and freedoms contained therein. Standards provided under the…
In previous post-conflict contexts, donors and practitioners have successfully provided grants and loans to affected populations to spur economic growth and reconstruction, promote the sustainable return of refugees and rehabilitate ex-combatants. However, recent experience demonstrates that if the provision of…