This paper summarizes the peer-reviewed published research on older refugees and IDPs in Africa. The authors synthesize the main findings from this literature and compare it to the knowledge base in other regions. According to UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), people aged 60 years and older make up 4 percent of refugees and asylum-seekers and 6 percent of IDPs worldwide. According to UNHCR data, more than 400,000 displaced persons in Africa were aged 60 years and older in 2019.
JDC Literature Review
LIVING ON THE MARGINS: The Socio-spatial Representation of Urban Internally Displaced Persons in Ethiopia
This article analyzes the multidimensional aspects of urban marginality of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ethiopia. According to IDMC, Ethiopia had more than five million IDPs at the end of 2021. The authors consider three aspects of urban marginality: (1) spatial marginality (physical distance and segregation); (2) social marginality (relations with other urban residents and the city); and (3) symbolic marginality (stigma).
Immediate health and economic impact of the Tigray war on internally displaced persons and hosting households
This paper examines the socioeconomic situation of IDPs and their host communities in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Conflict broke out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia in late 2020, causing the displacement of 2.1 million people within the region.
Evaluation of conditional cash transfers and mHealth audio messaging in reduction of risk factors for childhood malnutrition in internally displaced persons camps in Somalia: A 2 × 2 factorial cluster-randomised controlled trial
This paper presents the results of a randomized trial to estimate the effects of conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and mobile health (mHealth) audio messages in IDP camps near Mogadishu, Somalia. Specifically, the research examined whether conditionality in cash transfer programs and mHealth audio message improved health-seeking behavior and reduced risk factors for malnutrition.
Promoting Recovery and Resilience for Internally Displaced Persons: Lessons from Colombia
This paper discusses the dynamics and consequences of internal displacement in Colombia, and the legal and policy responses to protect and assist IDPs. In 2020, Colombia had the largest population of IDPs in the world, estimated at 8.2 million people, equivalent to 16 percent of the Colombian population and 17 percent of IDPs worldwide.
Context Matters: The Implications of the Mode of Service Provision for Structural and Relational Integration of Refugees in Ghana and Ethiopia
This article examines how variations in the form of service provision to refugees and host communities in Ethiopia and Ghana affects access and quality of services, the integration outcomes of refugees, and social cohesion.
Impact of refugees on wages and economic growth in a model with inflation
This article examines the effect of inflows of Ukrainian refugees on the labor market in Poland. The Ukrainian refugee influx increased the supply of unskilled labor in the Polish labor market.
Refugee inflows, surplus farm labor, and crop marketization in rural Africa
This article investigates the long-term effects of refugee inflows on host farmers in Tanzania, focusing on effects in labor and crop markets. The Kagera region in the northwest of Tanzania received large-scale inflows of refugee from Burundi and Rwanda in the early 1990s. The Kagera region is remote and impoverished, and most local households engage in subsistence agriculture.
Refugee Networks, Cooperation, and Resource Access
This article examines the role of social network structures in refugee community deliberations and problem solving in Lebanon and Jordan. High-density networks can facilitate information flow and in-group sanctioning, thereby encouraging greater engagement toward addressing collective problems. However, less densely networked and more diverse groups can bring a wider range of skills, information, knowledge, and connections that may make them more effective in solving problems.
Regional Spillovers from the Venezuelan Crisis: Migration Flows and Their Impact on Latin America and the Caribbean
This paper evaluates the economic impacts of Venezuelan migrants on host countries and the implications for future policy responses. Since August 2022, nearly 7 million Venezuelans (23 percent of the population) have fled their country due to economic collapse (a contraction of over 75 percent of real GDP), deteriorating basic services, and insecurity.