Attachments
The Housing, Land and Property Area of Responsibility (HLP AoR) of the Global Protection Cluster were created in 2007. To ensure appropriate attention to a range of specific protection areas on Housing Land and Property (HLP) rights. Protection Cluster set up several Areas of Responsibility (AoR), one of which is the Housing, Land and Property (HLP) issues. Globaly co-chaired by NRC and UN-Habitat. While in Somalia the Housing Land and Property Area of Responsibility is led by the Norwegian Refugee Council and co-chaired at state and district levels by either relevant government agency or INGO/NNGO.
Activities conducted within the Housing Land and Property are part of, and align with, the objectives, goals, priorities and principles of the Protection Cluster.
Somalia’s Sub-Cluster on Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights will contribute to the overarching objective of the Somalia Protection Cluster to securing equal respect for the rights of individuals without discrimination, as provided for in national and international law. This AoR or sub-cluster supports the vision of protection being an affirmative framework covering the full range of rights. The sub-cluster will thus give particular attention to increasing HLP issues such as security of tenure, forced evictions, and others with a view to protect against rights violations. and contribute towards durable solutions, inclusion of settlements in district city plans, sustainable housing, increased land tenure security and property rights.
The HLP AoR, provides a forum for coordination of interventions, consensus- building, creation of partnerships and linkages to foster a strategic and consensual approach to address housing, land and property concerns. It will seek to facilitate a more predictable, inclusive, accountable and effective HLP response by a diversity of partners and will enhance cohesion among different partners. The HLP Sub-Cluster abides by humanitarian and ‘do no harm’ principles.
The geographical scope of this sub-Cluster is aligned with institutional structures set forth by the Somalia Humanitarian Country Teams as well as the line ministries of the government of Somalia including National Development Plans Judiciary etc. The structure of the AoR comprises of a national coordination group based in Mogadishu, and Sub-National /district groups at Federal Member State headquarters and districts respectively. Where capacity and structures allow for it, leadership at Sub-national and district level can call for respective HLP AoR meetings. Where regional working group meetings are not established, Protection partners will discuss HLP issues as a standing agenda of Regional Protection Cluster meetings.
Members at all level is free and at the partners’ wish, however its mandatory for Eviction Task Force and partners implementing HLP.
Since inception and formalization of the Protection Cluster HLP AoR in 2015, Somalia has undergone important transformations that have warranted for a review of the terms of reference for the group. Violations of HLP rights remain rampant and they will be likely exacerbated by a wave of mass displacement which has added 1,063,000 new internally displaced persons to an already existing caseload of 1.1 million protracted displaced (PRMN, October 2017). This new wave of displacement was triggered by conflict, Military offensives, floods, forced evictions and a drought caused by three consecutive failed rainy seasons.
Between January to November 2017 More than 148,000 people were forcibly evicted from their settlements in urban areas in Baidoa, Bossaso, Garowe, Gaalkacyo, Hargeisa, Kismayo and Mogadishu, and many more remain at heightened risk of forced evictions. Moreover, Between November 2016 and April 2017, migration to urban areas has resulted into overcrowding of existing informal IDP campsand the creation of new camps in areas adjacent to already established informal settlements. These developments call for an increased integration of the emergency response to HLP violations with durable solutions and development programmes. Because of the magnitude of displacement, the Protection Cluster has increased its inter-cluster coordination with Shelter and Camp Coordination and Camp Management Clusters especially through the HLP because of the connections of the issues these clusters and the HLP have. The Area of Responsibility remains, however, primarily affiliated to the Protection Cluster and a full member of the Somalia ICCG.