The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and the IKEA Foundation have teamed up to help refugees, returnees, and host communities develop a more self-reliant future. With more than 100 million people forcibly displaced around the world, and the majority of them living in protracted crises, there is an urgent need to create more sustainable economic opportunities for refugees, host communities, and those returning from displacement to enhance a better quality of life.
The IKEA Foundation and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) are partnering to help forcibly displaced people and their host communities in Kenya and South Sudan to improve their livelihood and self-reliance while gathering evidence on what works. In addition, the aim is to scale the evidence from the “Economic Inclusion approach” to other places, to enhance displaced people’s economic and social wellbeing and dignity.
More than 78 per cent of the world’s refugees live in protracted situations. Although some refugees go back home, they are often displaced again due to economic challenges and there are little or no livelihood opportunities.
“No one wants to be dependent on aid. We need to find new ways for displaced people to become self-reliant and have more control of their lives. Our partnership with IKEA Foundation is doing just that, looking for ways to bring back independence and dignity” said Sean Nicholson, External Relations Director of NRC.
The project will be piloted in South Sudan and Kenya, where millions of people are living in protracted displacement. Refugees living in Dadaab Camp in Kenya have few opportunities to build livelihoods or engage with local communities in a region where 66 per cent live in acute poverty. And in Northern Bahr El Ghazal in South Sudan, more than 100,000 forcibly displaced people have returned home and are struggling to rebuild their lives.
NRC is supporting refugees, people who have returned home, and local communities in both countries to improve their lives and become self-reliant. The program provides a comprehensive approach that includes legal support, financial services, and mentoring support, as well as social activities to promote community integration.
Said Annemieke De Jong, Head of Portfolio, Refugee Livelihoods said: “The IKEA Foundation is proud to partner with NRC in its efforts to gather evidence on what works to improve livelihoods and self-reliance for forcibly displaced people and their host communities as we strongly believe that this way can lift everyone up together and create better futures for families.”
NRC will work closely with displaced people, communities, and local actors to identify what is currently working and what needs to be improved. The results will be shared with various stakeholders, which in turn can influence policies and programs designed to support displacement-affected people.
