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Displaced people: the need for an ‘urban first’ approach
Syrian refugees in Jordan: reevaluating responses to protracted displacement
Addis Ababa city note: Urban solutions for local integration
Jalalabad city note: Urban solutions for local integration
E&U special issue: Forced displacement and the city
This issue emphasises the need for a rights-based approach in urban displacement response, one that recognises cities as productive places for refugees and internally displaced people to live in, and stresses their need for progressive social and economic inclusion.
Based in part on findings from the protracted displacement work detailed on this website, the 11 papers explore how displaced people face urban protracted displacement, responding with agency and enterprise to transform local economies and seek a dignified life in exile.
The editors highlight how the papers’ findings support five principles they suggest as part of an ‘urban first’ strategy to urban displacement, that avoids the creation of camps, where possible. Despite challenges, including the absence of reliable data on a population that often wishes to remain hidden, and policy abdication or absence of city government in fragile contexts, this strategy has the potential to profoundly alter the framework of international humanitarian assistance, in favour of rights-based approaches, a developmental agenda and local initiatives to support displaced people in cities.
About the project
This research project was the first large-scale study to compare experiences of protracted displacement in cities and camps – where people have been displaced for at least five years. A mixed method, comparative approach was applied across one camp and one city in four countries with large displaced populations: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Jordan and Kenya.
The research has provided evidenced analysis of the different outcomes for displaced people in camps and urban areas, focusing specifically on the wellbeing and economies of refugees, returnees and IDPs.
We have engaged a wide range of municipal stakeholders in the research process by establishing a participatory forum in each city. Local partners convened the forums regularly throughout the project to discuss research findings and potential solutions to the challenges of urban displacement. These forums have led to new initiatives working with municipal authorities on displacement in Addis Ababa, Jalalabad and Nairobi.
With the ultimate goal of improving the understanding of wellbeing and productive economies of refugees, returnees and IDPs, the research has assessed how cities can foster displaced people’s local inclusion, while benefitting host governments and communities. The research has generated evidence and recommendations for local, national and international policymakers on the pathways towards a more strategic urban response to protracted displacement.