Urban IDP in Tigray Northern Ethiopia: Appraisal of Area-Based Approach Pilot Project for Shelter and Settlement Response in Mekelle

Abstract

Internally Displaced Peoples are increasingly choosing to live in urban areas as the influxes exacerbated by natural disasters, climate change, and conflict. Due to the war between Tigray and Ethiopian federal forces conducted from 2020 to 2022, more than 2 million Tigray population have been displaced into different areas, mainly urban centers like Mekelle. Urban IDP in emergency cases need an improved approach for shelter and settlement provision. The Neighborhood Approach Project is an area-based innovative means of shelter and settlement response for urban IDP. The aim of this study is to appraise the area-based approach pilot project in Mekelle. Case study research has conducted using structured, key informant interviews and literature review. This research uses the ten core principles of area-based approach model of Sanderson and Sitko to review the responses. Vulnerable 300 HH IDP from western Tigray living in Mekelle were targeted for the intervention, and 25% of the IDP needed expansions of new shelter, 45% renovation, and 30% rehabilitation of the shelter provided to them by each host family. The three distinct scenarios provided in-kind kits along with cash-based intervention to the host families to allow for expansion of new livable space and repair of their house, allowing them to host one household each who relocated from the collective sites. The result revealed that positive practical implementation of the core area-based approach principles enabled host communities to absorb IDP by increasing social cohesion, economic opportunities, access to services such as school reopening, and reducing protection related risks.