Returnees face significant obstacles in achieving sustainable reintegration, such as difficulties accessing basic and social services, land and adequate housing, limited access to livelihood opportunities, and insecurity. Further, the challenges facing returnees, as well as IDPs in protracted situations, both in areas of origin and displacement, have been greatly exacerbated by limited absorption capacities due to severe damage of infrastructure (communal, social, economic) facilities during the conflict, in addition to the COVID-19 related restrictions. It is expected that IDPs and returnees will face further challenges with the sudden announcement of camp closures.
Humanitarian interventions must be complemented with development interventions to ensure long-term development in line with the envisioned national reconstruction and development framework's (2018-2027) five pillars, i.e., governance; reconciliation and peacebuilding; social and human capital development; infrastructure; and economic development.
UNHCR has contributed to the durable solutions strategy document and is part of the durable solutions task force and technical working group (DSTWG). The DSTWG is working to establish parameters for area-based coordination to increase the sustainability and quality of returns, develop pilot projects, and strengthen governmental coordination mechanisms at the governorate and local level. It will also seek to ensure the sustainability of local integration and settlement outside areas of origin.
Building on results achieved to date, UNHCR programme interventions will address reintegration opportunities at the policy and field levels while creating an enabling protection environment. At the policy level, efforts will be on strategic engagement and advocacy with Government and development actors to include displaced populations into various national programmes, particularly the national social protection system.
Importantly, through its area-based approach, UNHCR’s reintegration programming (area-based programming for protection and solutions – A2PS) in areas of return and displacement will focus on creating an enabling environment to promote peaceful coexistence and community resilience. A2PS aims to systematically address protection risks and immediate to short- and medium-term needs, but it also creates a platform for longer-term development, building on the existing social, physical, natural, financial, and human capital of the population. All interventions will be evidence-based and informed by thorough analyses (socio-economic profiling and assessment, protection risk analysis, and market analysis).
UNHCR will capitalize on its comparative advantage and collective outcomes with development actors, including its ongoing engagement with UNICEF and UNFPA on protection issues; MoLSA, MoMD, MoI and MoP on social protection, documentation and legal assistance; and operational partnerships with the World Bank, UN agencies (UNDP, UNHABITAT, FAO, IFAD, ILO, WFP, UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UN WOMEN), GIZ, and the private sector (chamber of commerce and industry) on reintegration. Partnerships with other line ministries (e.g. Ministry of Housing and Construction (MoHC), Ministry of Trade (MoT), etc.) and civil society organizations will be sought to reinforce the reintegration framework further.
To ensure a coordinated and complementary approach, UNHCR will maintain active involvement in the Government's agenda via established mechanisms and frameworks such as the UNCT, UNSDCF, National Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (NRDP), National Development Plan (NDP), Poverty reduction strategy (PRS), etc. To ensure that evidence-based reintegration/integration needs are reflected in donor strategies and priorities, UNHCR will continue its strategic engagement with donors.