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Greater investment needed in response to urban forced displacement
Goma, 6 November 2014 – Individuals who have been forcibly displaced to Goma, who are living outside of formally supported camps and sites, systematically face greater risks to their lives and livelihoods than other Goma residents, according to a study released today by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The report, “Living Conditions of Displaced Persons and Host Communities in Goma, DRC” provides a comprehensive snapshot of the urban centre, based on interviews with 480 were displaced households, 308 host families, and 469 resident households. It reveals that not only are internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in urban centres rarely receiving any form of humanitarian aid, but they routinely face discrimination and other obstacles to when seeking assistance or protection.
One woman from the Goma quartier, Mabanga Sud, highlights the ways in which her family’s life has changed since taking in a displaced family: “the house has become small, the children sleep in the living room, and being able to eat twice a day is not garunteed. All of this has negatively impacted my children’s performance in school. Three of them were required to repeat their last year.” Poor housing conditions and high levels of food insecurity are highlighted in the report as needing the most immediate attention. Host families are typically taking in displaced persons for more than 6 months at a time, causing serious problems of overcrowding and placing enormous strains on their own families’ resources. IDPs have extremely limited economic opportunities, which limits their ability to pay rent or provide food for their families. While displaced persons spend, on average, much less money per month than a Goma resident, more than 50% report having outstanding debts.
As noted in the report, “the current lack of engagement in urban programming indicates failure to support steps towards durable solutions for those living in protracted displacement and the inability of humanitarian and development actors to respond to new displacement into urban areas.” That said, the disparities between Goma residents versus IDPs and host families, which are highlighted throughout the report, present substantial opportunities for both the Congolese government and the humanitarian community.“An emergency humanitarian intervention in an urban context as complex as Goma is challenging for humanitarian actors. The report released today provides essential information for better planning of such interventions in the future” notes the NRC Country Director, Cheick Ba.
Goma residents have established mechanisms to deal with new displacement which can be supported and strengthened. The humanitarian community can increase the information and assistance available to IDPs and host families. Finally, the government can take further steps to improve the accessibility of social services.
The Congolese government and the humanitarian community must recognize the substantial needs of people affected by displacement in urban areas, and immediately take steps to scale up programming and support for these families, in order to ensure durable solutions to displacement in Goma can become a reality.
For more information or interviews, please contact:
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Zoe Jordan, Urban Project Team Leader, zoe.jordan@nrc.no, +243 (0) 816 079 150,
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Brooke Lauten, Protection and Advocacy Advisor brooke.lauten@nrc.no, +243 (0) 999 838 262
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Odette Asha, Communication Officer, odette.asha@nrc.no , +243 (0) 994 048 832
“Living Conditions of Displaced Persons and Host Communities in Goma, DRC” has been produced with the financial assistance of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Norwegian Refugee Council is a non-governmental organization that works to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable persons during crisis. Through programming, NRC provides assistance to meet immediate humanitarian needs, prevent further displacement and contribute to durable solutions.