Internally Displaced People (IDP)

IDPs Return and Reintegration Implementation Unit

UPDATES 

(Some Updates are not available and will be posted as soon as they made available)

Fourteen years of civil war in Liberia have resulted in a severe displacement crisis, both within and across the country’s borders.  Some two years on from the end of hostilities, the deployment of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and the inauguration of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL).

Before the ongoing movement started, approximately 450,000 Liberians were internally displaced.  An estimated 280,000 IDPs lived in 24 formal camps where, due to funding constraints, they were receiving some protection and decreasing levels of food and other assistance from the humanitarian community.  An additional 20,000 IDPs lived in spontaneous settlements or informal camps where they received minimal levels of assistance.  See below table of the various categories

In addition to those in formal camps and spontaneous settlements, a further 150,000 IDPs were believed to be living in host communities around the country.   Since they had not been registered by UN agencies, they did not receive direct protection or assistance from the international community and were not included within the overall caseload for facilitated return. 

Early 2004, it was decided that as part of the wider reconciliation process within the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in Accra in August 2003; it was desirable to return most of the estimated 450,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their counties of origin.  It is widely believed that this would foster the peace and reconciliation process in Liberia. 

At the end of the Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Rehabilitation (DDRR) process in October 2004, the return of IDPs started on the 8^th of November 2004.  It is notable that all the counties in Liberia have now been declared ready to receive IDPs.  To date, over 85,000 IDPs have been provided with humanitarian assistance and assisted to restart their lives.  This has allowed the humanitarian community to provide the IDPs with two categories of assistance i.e. individual assistance and community-based assistance. The first category involves providing food, non-food items and transport allowance. The second category of assistance involves provision of community-based assistance in the form of tools, seeds etc.  The IDP Implementation Unit has been working with partners within the humanitarian community to ensure that the process is both voluntary and humane.

Since the Humanitarian and Relief Coordinator’s office does not have resources of its own, it has to relay on the goodwill of the humanitarian community in Liberia for material assistance to the IDPs as well as the means to implement programmes in support of the IDPs.  So far, WFP, UNHCR, IOM, Norwegian Refugee Council among others have made large contributions. 

IDP Return Survey COMPLETED
The IDP Return Survey has been completed in the 20 official IDP camps in Montserrado and Bong Counties.

PRELIMINARY REPORT

The purpose of the IDP Return Survey is to ascertain places of origin, planned places for return, vulnerabilities and protection information for IDP population living in the camps in Montserrado and Bong Counties. The information resulting from this survey will assist agencies working with IDP populations and host/returning communities to better meet the needs of IDPs and prepare for their return and reintegration.

The survey began on April 14 and was completed on April 29 in the following 20 camps:

1)      Sinje 3                            11)   Siegbeh

2)      Ricks Institute               12)   Wilson Corner

3)      Jahtondo                        13)   Perry

4)      Plumkor                          14)   Conneh/Kakata

5)      New Land                       15)   Salala

6)      Mt. Barclay                      16)   Tumutu

7)      Fendell                            17)   E. J. Yancy

8)      Unification Town           18)   Maimu 1

9)      Soul Clinic                      19)   Maimu 2

10)   Blamasse                       20)   Maimu 3

The IDP Return Survey was initiated by the IDP Committee and implemented thru a coordinated effort between OCHA and UNHCR.  The enumerators were recruited from Local NGOs, International NGOs and governmental organizations.  The 32 survey teams came from:

Each team is to be commended for their excellent work.  They conducted the survey under difficult conditions and managed to maintain a positive attitude and good work ethic throughout the of the survey.  This is a definite tribute to the quality of these organizations that they have such outstanding staff.

The staff of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) provided continuous and vital support during every phase of the operation, from preliminary planning, to assisting in the field, to helping facilitate payment of enumerators.  Without their contribution this project would not have been successful.  Thank you NRC!

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