South Sudan — Disability & Inclusion Survey Malakal PoC Site (2020)

The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM), Protection and Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support teams joined efforts with Humanity & Inclusion (HI) to undertake an assessment of the level of access to services and the barriers faced by persons with disabilities within Malakal Protection of Civilian site (PoC site). The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) contributed to the qualitative component of the study as Protection and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) actors operating within the PoC site. The study, based on data collected between March 2020 and June 2020, aims to improve the knowledge base available to the humanitarian community about access to services by persons with disabilities living in the site. It provides a quantitative estimate of the prevalence of disabilities among the IDP population and an assessment of the barriers faced by persons with disability in accessing humanitarian services across sectors. It also seeks to empower persons with disabilities living within the PoC site, giving them the opportunity to express their concerns and preferences with regards to possible solutions and targeted interventions. It is hoped that the resulting data will help camp management and other service providers operating within Malakal PoC site, including IOM, UNHCR and DRC, to better account for the concerns and needs of persons with disability in humanitarian programming and service delivery. This study builds onto and expands previous studies in Naivasha IDP Camp (formerly Wau PoC AA Site) and Bentiu PoC Site.

Key findings

• 19.1 per cent of survey respondents are persons with disabilities as identified by the Washington Group Short Set of Questions, while an estimated 18.3 per cent of households include at least one member with a disability.
• Among individuals with disabilities, 44.5 per cent report at least one mental health concern.
• Giving more support to family members and care givers (70.6%) and making access to basic services easier (45.9%) were the most suggested actions for more satisfactory and happier lives.
• The main barriers hampering access to services by persons with disabilities were lack of economic resources (39.3%), distance to service points (38.4%) and lack of physical access (34.0%).
• 10.4 per cent of respondents’ fear forms of verbal violence when accessing services, while 7.4 per cent feared forms of physical violence.
• Clarifying where to report protection incidents was most popular among potential solutions to improve safety (30.0%).
• Access to safe clean water, assisted referral, livelihood opportunities and general health services, among other basic services, present particular challenges for persons with disabilities.
• The majority of persons with disabilities living in Malakal PoC site does not live in shelters that are suitable for their needs (52.0%).