A tale of high expectations, promising results and a long road ahead

by Jasper Tjaden, Andres Arau, Muertizha Nuermaimaiti, Imge Cetin, Eduardo Acostamadiedo, Marzia Rango.

Act 1 — High Expectations

“Data is the new oil,” they say. ‘Big Data’ is even bigger than that. The “data revolution” will contribute to solving societies’ problems and help governments adopt better policies and run more effective programs. In the migration field, digital trace data are seen as a potentially powerful tool to improve migration management processes (visa applications; asylum decision and geographic allocation of asylum seeker, facilitating integration, “smart borders” etc.).1

Forecasting migration is one particular area where big data seems to excite data nerds (like us) and policymakers alike…

Baidoa — Baidoa, a major economic centre in southwestern Somalia, has seen rapid population growth as displacement driven by conflict and climate change has greatly accelerated in recent years. In just the last decade, it is estimated that Baidoa’s population has doubled.

The increased influx of forcibly displaced people arriving to the urban area has made it challenging for humanitarian partners to reach all those who need support. Most displaced families continue to live in makeshift shelters (“buuls”) made from discarded clothes, cartons, and sticks, which offer little protection against heavy rainfall or sweltering heat.

In comparison to the rest…

Mogadishu- Three years ago, 67-year-old Omar made the difficult decision to leave his home in Ethiopia after his family’s livestock perished following a prolonged drought. His situation was made worse by inter clan clashes, which continue to plague the Somalia region of Ethiopia.

Omar arrived in Somalia in 2017, crossing the border on foot. Today, he lives with his daughter and her four children at Kabasa, one of the most impoverished camps for displaced persons in in Doolow, a small town in Gedo region in the southern part of Somalia at the border with Ethiopia.

He is forced to spend…

Since its inception, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been working to improve immunization coverage for migrants and forcibly displaced persons across the world.

“Vaccines are one of our most important and cost-effective tools to prevent outbreaks, protect individuals, and therefore keep entire communities safe and healthy,” says IOM Director General António Vitorino. …

An estimated 30,000 migrants in vulnerable situations were stranded in West and Central Africa in May, as COVID-19 began to spread in the region.

“Migrant in vulnerable situations” is a term often used, but is the meaning really understood? Why are they considered vulnerable? Why do they need immediate assistance?

Based on its unique field experience, IOM recognizes operational challenges and protection gaps in identifying, protecting and assisting migrants who are not entitled to international protection as refugees, stateless persons or victims of human trafficking, but who nonetheless require protection and assistance. In order to respond to this challenge, IOM…

In Nigeria, COVID-19 has posed great challenges to returnees. Among those worst affected are people with mental health and psychosocial needs.

Movement restrictions imposed by the Nigerian government have made assistance to returnees and their families particularly challenging. Due to these restrictions, returnees with psychological concerns face challenges in accessing dedicated mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services. Moreover, as economic activities came to a halt, caregivers observed symptoms of relapse and deterioration of their beneficiaries’ psychosocial wellbeing.

Under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, a COVID-19 assessment was conducted via phone in the West and Central…

Volunteers make a difference in the lives of others, without asking for anything in return. Read about these three IOM volunteers and how they reach others in time of need.

Standing up for peace by Jacob Gnammou

Tropical Cyclone Harold caused extensive destruction after making landfall as a category 4 storm in the Republic of Fiji on 8 April 2020.

Since then, International Organization for Migration’s partnership with the Fijian NGO Live and Learn has supported the ongoing rebuilding efforts by responding to the shelter needs of some of the most vulnerable households affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold (‘TC Harold’) in Vatulele island and Tailevu province (Western and Central Divisions respectively).

To address the shelter, water and sanitation and food security needs of 200,000 people affected, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) contributed USD 100,000 to…