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Rapid Assessment Report on Community Services and Livelihood,Shimelba Refugee Camp, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia.

October,2014

Shimelba Refugee Camp, October 2014

Innovative Humanitarian Solutions, Assessment Report. October 2014

Table of content

Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................... 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 4

1.BACKGROUND…………………………………………………………………………………..................5

1.1.Demographic characteristics ............................................................................................................. 5

1.2. Objective of the assessment .............................................................................................................. 5

2. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 6

3. KEY FINDINGS /GUPS..............................................................................................................................8

3.1.Commnity Servise......................................................................................................................................8

3.1. 1. People with Mental Health Problem....................................................................................................... 8

3.1.2. Persons with Disabilities............................................................................................................................ 9

3.1.3. Persons Living With HIV/AIDS ............................................................................................................ 9

3.1.4. Summary of Elders......................................................................................................................................9

3.1.5. Summary of Vulnerable Women............................................................................................................. 10


3.1.6. Summary of Vulnerable Children and Youth ..................................................................................... 10

3.1.7. Summary of Community Based Structures........................................................................................... 10

3.2. Livelihood ...................................................................................................................................13

4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................... 13

5. LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES ...................................................................................................... 13

Acronyms

ARRA --------------------------------------.Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs

CFS--------------------------------------------Child Frendly Space

CBC-------------------------------------------Community Based Structures

FGM------------------------------------------.Female Genital Mutulation

FGD ------------------------------------------.Focus Group Discussion

GBV-------------------------------------------Gender Based Violence

IHS--------------------------------------------Innovative Humanitarian Solutions

IGA ------------------------------------------ Income Generating Activity

IP -------------------------------------------- Implementing Partner

IRC--------------------------------------------International Rescue Committee

KII ------------------------------------------- Key Informant Interview

MH ------------------------------------------Mental Health


NGO ----------------------------------------Non-Governmental Organization

PWD----------------------------------------Persons with Disabilities

RCC---------------------------------------- Refugee Central Committee

UNHCR ----------------------------------United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WASH ---------------------------------- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

WFP ---------------------------------------World Food Program

ZOA----------------------------------------ZOA Refugee Care

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The overall objective of conducting this assessment by Innovative Humanitarian Solutions (IHS) is to obtain pertinent information about the range of services provided to refugees and to identify gaps in services. The information and possible recommendations will be used to mobilize local and/or outside support to improve the living situation and protection of vulnerable groups.

The data collection is mainly based on primary as well as secondary data. The assessment was conducted using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with refugees and Community based structures as well as key informant interviews (KII) with refugees ,different actors including Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) International Rescue Committee(IRC). Observation followed by informal discussion was also used.

Results from the assessment shows all community services and livelihood opportunities are extremely limited and remain a major challenge for shimelba refugees camp. A very small number of refugees are engaged in IGAs to improve self-reliance, but they need considerable support to become sustainable.

The number of mental health cases in the camp increase from time to time and still immense which need an agency to address prevention rehabilitation and psychosocial support.


In addition, Limited access to basic services in the camps as well as depression and lengthy of camp life among the refugees are major issues that are likely to increase the problem of metal health.

The assessment results also indicate that Separated children are placed in foster care families in their own communities/tribes and are leading their life in a family environment .However, there are high concerns of protection from child labor, Female Genital Mutulation , early and forced marriage, which is rampant in the Kunama tribe.

Generally, Shimelba camps need urgent attention as it has been neglected by the most of IPS over the years and, even though structures exist, an overwhelming majority of facilities in the camp are in critical need of maintenance. Livelihood opportunities for the camp population are very limited, despite the fact that most of them have lived in the camp for several years.

Besides, to contribute in meeting service gaps in the camps, the focus should also be on mobilizing resources and capacitating refugees to increase their resilience. Innovative Humanitarian Solutions in coloration with ARRA and UNHCR will plan for a multi-sector community based programs in the camp.

1.BACKGROUND

The Eritrean refugees first crossed into Ethiopia soon after the end of the Ethio-Eritrean conflict in May 2000. These refugees were initially settled in a location called Waalanhibi in the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia. That location was too close to the border with Eritrea so the camp was relocated to Shimelba in June 2004. The main refugee population in the camp currently /2014 belongs to Kunama (about 75%) the rest (25%) are from Tigrinya and other minorities. (Source: ARRA and UNHCR)

Displacement and lengthy camp life with little immediate prospect for a change in life has become a serious challenge for Eritrean refugees who are settled in Shimelba camp. Many Eritrean refugees experienced very stressful situations prior, during and post emergency situations. This included secondary movement that put many refugees at risk while crossing from Sudan to Egypt and the Sienna Desert. Currently lack of employment opportunities has also created greater dependency and further reduced self-esteem and confidence among the refugees.

1.1. Demographic Characteristics:

Current Shimelba Refugee population by sex and age, as of September 2014.

Age Sex Total percentageInnovative Humanitarian Solutions, Assessment Report. October 2014

0-4 636 604 1240 20.4 %5-11 654 595 1249 20.54 %12-17 1000 821 1821 29.96 %18-59 869 701 1570 25.83 %60+ 94 104 198 3.2 %Total 3253 2825 6078 100 %Source: ARRA, September 2014, update

1.2. General Assessment Objective

Innovative Humanitarian Solutions (IHS) conducted a rapid assessment from 13-17 October 2014 based on a discussion with Administration for the Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) and UNHCR.

The general objective of the assessment is to obtain pertinent information about the range of services provided to refugees and to identify gaps in services. The information and possible recommendations will be used to mobilize local and/or outside support to improve the living situation and protection of vulnerable groups.

Specific Objectives

To assess the existing community services activities/practices and to identify critical issues and identify possible opportunities for the most vulnerable groups of the community that must be addressed in 2015.

To draw lessons and design a proposal for the period 2015.

2. METHODOLOGYThe Assessment was largely a qualitative exercise, which targeted individuals and groups and was made in consultation and discussion with the ARRA staff who were concerned about issues of sample selection, attempts to ensure that the random sampling included all categories of the key informants, etc. ( see table 1 below for details).

2.1.Primary Data Gathering MethodsThe Assessment was conducted using participatory methods employing the standard data collection tools: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), administration of questionnaires for livelihood assessment and interviews with relevant respondents.

Focus Group Discussions was conducted for Refugee Central Committee (RCC) members, Elders, religious leaders, persons with disabilities, People living with HIV/AIDs, Women Association, group and single headed households and youth representatives.


Structured Interviews were conducted with UNHCR, Administration for Refugee and Returnee Affairs (ARRA) and IRC in Shimelba camp. The information gathered through interviewing key informants was mainly asking about the overall services delivery and existing gaps.

Structured questionnaire administered to 60 respondents to assess the livelihood needs.

2.2.Secondary Data Collection MethodsThe Rapid Assessment Team consulted various documents available, including program related documents such as UNHCR Guidelines on protection and care and reports, assessment reports pertaining to Shimelba and updates.

Summary of respondents and the data gathering tools

S.N INSTRUMENT

COMPOSITION OF PARTICIPANTS RESPONDENTS

1 Interview checklist

ARRA camp coordinator, protection officer, program officer, head nurse and psychiatric nurse.

5

UNHCR Field assistant and protection officer

2

IRC camp manager, child protection and education officer,

3

2 FGD check list

Persons with disabilities, persons with HIV/Aids and Refuge eldersRefugee women group and youth groups UA children, single headed householdsand Guardians/care takers of vulnerable childrencommunity representatives or RCC

60


3 Structured questionnaire

Randomly selected households 60

Interview with IP staff FGD with community groups

3. FINDINGS/GAPS

As shown above 6,078 persons are living in Shimelba camp. According to UNHCR report on ethnicity mix 75% are from Kunama, 25% are from Tigrigna, and all are Eritrean. From the information on the table above one can see that 46% are female and 71% are children under 17 while 20.4 % of the total populations are children under 4 years of age. The differences between the hosting community and the refugee community in language


ES group of Dabat

and culture are minimal. This is because the ethnic background of the refugees in the camps are the same as that of the host communities.

The major reasons the Eriterean refuees have fled their place of origin are fear of continued military recruitment, economic problems, desire to join a family member in another country, and hope for resettlement. In times of stress people develop coping mechanisms to deal with their situations. However, these coping mechanisms break down with time and the disintegration of normal social support networks makes life in the camp difficult. The vulnerable groups are the most affected by the situation.

3.1.Community Services3.1.1. People with Mental Health Problem.

From the FGD interview, informal discussions, and physical observations, the issue of mental health related problems was determined to be most serious and severe in the camp. According to the psychiatric nurse, 91 cases were registered in 2013 and this number tripled to 300 as some cases are also referred to this camp in 2014. The majority of the psychiatric patients from the record are from Tigrigna speaking refugee community. The number of mental health cases tends to increase from time to time for several reasons, such as economic, social and psychological problems. These can include cases related to delay and rejection of/from resettlement, frustration, addiction to substance abuse, etc. According to the ARRAs psychiatry nurse currently there are 63 male and 19 female psychiatric patents in the center with the remaining being out patients. The majority of those affected are single headed households (ages 18-50).

The communities took the initiative to help by establishing support for the center by forming a volunteers management committee. ARRA and WFP provide double rations for psychiatric patients and UNHCR allocates a small budget, about 10,000.00 birr/month. However, the facilities for mentally disorder patients are inadequate. They have a dormitory with no beds, little recreational facilities, inadequate bathrooms, toilet, clothing, and sanitation. There is no also integration mechanism of the patients with the community; IGA activities to support the rehabilitation center and absent of implementing partner working in the area of mental health and psychosocial support in the camp.


Rehabilitation center for psychiatrist patients FGD with community volunteers

3.1.2. Persons with Disabilities

There are about 253 disabled persons in the camp but only 170 are members of the association. The assessment reveals that discrimination against PWD by the community has shown some positive changes, however there is no psychological and material support for the group. They expressed their desire to participate in IGA. They want also to strengthen their association.

3.1.3. Persons Living With HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS association with 80 members at present was established when Shimelba camp was opened. Regular meetings were held among members to discuss issues related to their health conditions. They were supported by IRC in the past who provided hygiene and sanitation materials.

Due to lack of support, the association gradually became weak. Nevertheless, the members want to strengthen their association and work together with others to create awareness on issues related to HIV/AIDs.

3.1.4. Elders

There are some unaccompanied elders who need care and support. It was mentioned in the FGD that the community members are supporting the unaccompanied elders. The participants showed a need to establish their own association to mobilize the community to provide support for those who cannot support themselves.

3.1.5 Vulnerable Women

Although the assessment team was not able to get the exact number of women-headed households, there are women who need support. This includes a group of Ethiopian women who have intermarried with Eritrean men and who are left aside by their husbands. They explained that they do not want to be a mere recipient of aids but want


seed money to generate income for their family. Any intervention designed to support vulnerable groups should also target this group of women. Representatives of the women association also showed big interest in doing anything to support other vulnerable groups

3.1.6. Vulnerable Children and YouthSeparated children are placed in foster care families in their own communities/tribes and are leading their life in a family environment. This arrangement is usually informal either by their choice or the choice of the community in which they live. The guardians of separated children mentioned during the discussion that there is no support for separated children from working in the camp.

During the discussions at the site, the assessment team deeply discussed protection issues with refugee community representatives, women association, Refugee Central committee, youth group and IRC key program staff, The team learned that there are high concerns of protection from child labor, Female Genital Mutulation , early and forced marriage, which is considered normal and which is rampant in the Kunama tribe. A strategy to overcome such protection problems, will require a way to create awareness on Harmful Traditional practices, establishing a child protection system in the camp, and establishing training on protection related issues. Since the establishment of the camp in 2000, IRC has been responsible for the protection of children(separated children in particular).

Child Friendly SpaceThe assessment team learned there is child friendly space for children from different age groups. CFS provides children with a protected environment in which they participate in structured activities. This ensures protection of the children from violence and it contributes to resilience. But the CFS provision needs to be strengthened. During the discussion, the IRC project staff mentioned that the CFS needs to be better equipped with recreational and indoor/outdoor learning materials.

Youth Recreation and Support ActivitiesThe youth recreational activities were initiated with the objective of assisting the youth in refugee communities to cope with the psychosocial effects of displacement, and to bring about normalization of their daily lives.

It is also a means to create healthy relationships among older children and youth who are from different social backgrounds. Apart from recreation the youth center serves as a mechanism to empower older children on their rights and obligations. From the discussion we learned that the center is providing indoor services but lacks essential materials to address the growing need to make use of the service.

3.1.7. Community Based Structures:


It appears, from observations and discussion that the community has the good will and the interest to contribute to/participate in the intervention. To this end groups (refugee central committee members, elders; women and youth association members) consulted have said they want to be involved in the areas of community mobilization, support to the vulnerable groups, and contribute to labor work.

3.2 Assessment Findings on Livelihood

In order to assess the level of participation and awareness of refugees in the livelihood activities, a structured questionnaire was distributed to 60 respondents in Shimelba refugee camp. The questions relevant to the contexts were selected from a UNHCR community service department, which was designed to do assessments in the Shire area camps. The following critical issues are drawn from the findings.

Household Composition

A random sampling method was used to collect information on livelihood. Among 60 respondents only 22% were female and the rest were male. About 98% of the household heads were between 19 and 50 years of age while another 2% were elderly persons. Household size is a significant benchmarking factor in determining individual household level socio-economic characteristics. The average household size was 6, whereas the minimum and the maximum recorded among them were 1 and 11 persons respectively. Further it is crucial to understand demographics related to the youth population in order to plan livelihood interventions. This is necessary because of the characteristics of households with large numbers of non-economically active members. Income Generating Activities of the campIncome generating activity is very low in the camps due to low levels of disposable income among refugee communities. Limited livelihood opportunities in Shimelba are compounded by the absence of agencies to support new activity start-up or expansion. It was observed that high level of frustration, dependency, and low motivation are seen among refugees. According to the informant, ZOA in the past and IRC recently tried to implement livelihood activities but it was not continued and sustained. Most respondents were very interested in engaging in livelihood activities if they were given the opportunity. It was also found that most young people who are idle and without a job are ultimately exposed to risky secondary movement to Sudan, Egypt and Libya.

Main Sources of Household Income The refugee communities in Shimelba show significant differences from other locations in terms of their main income sources. Tigrigna communities were highly dependent on support received through aid and remittance; however, a considerable proportion of Kunama society were earning income through unskilled labor and agriculture. There are very few number of the refugees engaged in small income generating activities (tea and coffee shop, restaurant small shop, back yard gardening) and skilled labor (incentive


work). In general the normal ration (food assistance) is the main income source for all refuges in the camp.

The assessment revealed that the refugees already have the potential to engage in income generating activities. However, there is limited intervention by agencies. Therefore, the vulnerable population faces challenges regarding startup capital as shown in the table below.

Level of Respondents engagement in IGA

Respondents engage in IGA

Involved as primary activity

Involved but not as primary activity

Not involved

26% 4% 70%

Respondents area of interest for IGA

S/N List of IGAS % of interested respondents

1 Small Business and Services 64%2 Agriculture(Vegetable gardening) 6%3 Livestock 8%4 Casual and formal salary work 18%

It was observed by the assessment team that there is the potential for refugees to engage in agriculture (back yard gardening) and livestock activities. However, some additional or specific market studies may still be needed to complement the information.

4.CONCLUSION

The assessment indicates detail information in the existing community services performances and identifies critical issues, such as key challenges/gaps and areas of intervention for filling the gaps for the most vulnerable groups of the community. The gaps that call for intervention as per this assessment include mental health and psychosocial support, support for persons with varied disabilities, unaccompanied elders. vulnerable women and children. There are also gaps in the need to support comprehensive child protection systems and empowerment of refugees in general and vulnerable groups in particular through community based program and well-designed livelihood intervention.

5.RECOMMENDATIONS

Community services:-

The problems centered around mental health are still immense and need an agency to address prevention rehabilitation and psychosocial support.


Support for the rehabilitation center with basic facilities (dormitory, beds, recreational facilities, bathroom, toilet, clothing, hygiene and sanitation etc.) is highly needed.

There is also a need to develop integration strategies for psychiatric patients and to create sustainable community based prevention and rehabilitation programs.

Persons with disabilities should be given support to strengthen their association and to enable them to participate in income generation activities to support their livelihood.

Persons living with HIV/AIDs should be supported to participate in income generating activities (petty trade, poultry and gardening) to be self-supportive .

There is a need to establish care and a support mechanism for the unaccompanied elders as they cannot fetch water, collect firewood and prepare their own food.

Improve service in CFSs and Youth centers and establish child protection systems to combat harmful practices such as FGM, early and forced marriage, child labor.

Livelihood:

There is a strong need to strengthen community based structure through sensitizing and capacity building trainings and to actively involve individual households’ to participate in income generating activities.

Develop multipurpose resource center to build up and promote indigenous knowledge and to develop skills which will enhance creativity of people and a greater desire to participate in and diversify their livelihood opportunities.

Strengthening and making use of the existing Community based structures could benefit Vurnalable groups to mobilize, participate and monitor Income Generating activities.

The need for support towards accessing more sustainable livelihoods was evident throughout the study. However, the study does not reveal the type of skills, constraints and market opportunities in sufficient depth. It is therefore recommended to conduct a more comprehensive assessment on this to inform future livelihoods programming.

LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES

Respondents were reluctant somewhat to answer questions they say that different agencies ask different questions but without bringing any significant change by any of them related to their income and service. Besides lack of an appropriate numerical data was a constraint.


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