Site Assessment

This factsheet aims to provide a snapshot of multi-sectoral conditions, needs, and challenges among Myanmar migrants in Ranong province as captured between September and November 2023 by IOM Thailand’s multisectoral assessment of needs. The purpose of this assessment is to provide insights regarding the severity of needs among migrant populations, identify vulnerable population groups and geographic areas with the most acute needs, inform assistance planning and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, and provide sectoral and inter-sectoral baselines for future assessments.

This factsheet aims to provide a snapshot of multi-sectoral conditions, needs, and challenges among Myanmar migrants in Tak province as captured between October and December 2023 by IOM Thailand’s multi-sectoral assessment of needs. The purpose of this assessment is to provide insights regarding the severity of needs among migrant populations, identify vulnerable population groups and geographic areas with the most acute needs, inform assistance planning and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, and provide sectoral and inter-sectoral baselines for future assessments.

In order to better define the magnitude and geographic prevalence of issues pertaining to environmental degradation, climate-induced migration, economic insecurity, a lack of investment in development, tribal conflict, criminal and political violence, and civic mistrust and unrest in southern Iraq, IOM and Social Inquiry designed this profiling of Basra, Thi-Qar, and Missan governorates to serve as go-to sources of evidence to shape further in-depth research, analysis, and advocacy on specific issues, geographical areas, and/or population groups and guide the design, monitoring, and evaluation of interventions and policies to best meet the needs of people in these fragile environments. The specifically designed indicators framework for this profiling focuses on a breadth of topics including demographics, housing, access to services, socio-economic situation, agriculture, migration, wellbeing, governance, security, and social cohesion and divided into three levels: household characteristics, individual perceptions and attitudes, and roster of household members. A total of 3,904 surveys were collected across all 18 districts in these three governorates between December 2021 and January 2022. This sample size guarantees the standard 5% margin of error for data for each governorate and an 8% margin of error at district level. In addition, for each district, the sampling was also stratified by urbanicity and gender, thus generating a representative sample for urban and rural areas as well as for male and female respondents that can be analyzed at different levels of disaggregation.

Environmental degradation is increasingly and strongly felt in the southern governorates of Iraq. A gradual but consistent decrease of water flow and water quality over the last decades, and worsening in the last 10 years in particular, has meant that the agricultural sector, traditionally the main workforce employer in rural areas, is unable to guarantee sufficient and sustainable livelihoods for the communities living there. A direct consequence of this maladaptation is the forced migration of rural populations, oftentimes towards nearby urban areas including Basra, Nassiriya, and Amara in search of better opportunities to sustain their lives.

This report draws on the results from data covering 802 residents of Basra City (710 local residents and 92 migrants within the last decade), across 49 streets, to identify the particular issues facing high-migration parts of the city that hinder migrants’ ability to sustainably and peacefully integrate in an already fragile urban setting. Data collection was conducted in July and August 2021. 

this report puts forward the need for a two-pronged approach that focuses on enhancing the adaptation capacity of recipient areas such as Basra (and other close-by urban areas) to an increasing population, at the same time as attention is kept on districts currently forcing families to migrate – mostly the rural, neglected hinterland that is the scenario of extreme environmental degradation, absence of diversified economic opportunities, and poor public infrastructure and provision

Environmental challenges such as water scarcity, pollution and reduced ecosystem services can affect people’s income generation possibilities and their health and physical wellbeing, and can therefore be a factor in the decision to leave one’s place of residence. Environmental factors are among the drivers of displacement and migration, along with political, demographic, economic and social factors. This report focuses on understanding variations in water quantity and water quality in central and south Iraq in the last two decades and on providing insight for the future. The report also suggests key recommendations to mitigate the water crisis. To further this understanding, an exploratory modelling system including hydrological, water resource and water quality models was developed for the Euphrates and Tigris rivers basin. The main water problems identified are mainly linked to water shortages for irrigated agriculture and poor water quality due to excessively high total dissolved solids (TDS), that is, salinity levels. Further research on the reasons why some people displace from the most affected areas while others remain would be required to better understand the link between water issues and displacement.

Between August and September 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology, deployed the Site Assessment (SA) Round 34 and Village Assessment Survey (VAS) Round 17 assessment tools to assess the mobility, needs and vulnerabilities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returning IDPs across Ethiopia.

This snapshot report will present key findings on needs and vulnerabilities, and will focus on obstacles related to accessing shelter/Non-Food Items (ESNFI) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in the locations assessed through the SA and VAS assessments. The indicators included in the assessments were designed by the Disability Inclusion (DI) expert in country with support from the IOM-DTM team, and aim to shed light on the obstacles that people with difficulties seeing, hearing, walking, communicating and understanding, face in relation to their shelters, accessing distributions and using bathing facilities/latrines. In 61.67% of sites with IDPs, the first obstacle in relation to shelter was physical barriers to enter and leave their home and circulate inside the shelter.

Between August and September 2023, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) methodology, deployed the Site Assessment (SA) Round 34 and Village Assessment Survey (VAS) Round 17 assessment tools to assess the mobility, needs and vulnerabilities of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and returning IDPs across Ethiopia.

As part of its commitment to Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) principles, IOM Ethiopia’s AAP and DTM teams have closely worked together on AAP implementation and mainstreaming in DTM operations. The DTM team reviewed and incorporated indicators related to AAP within the SA and VAS tools, to map communities’ access to feedback mechanisms and involvement in the decision-making process surrounding humanitarian aid. The indicators were included in the August - September 2023 multisectoral assessments which took place nationwide in IDP sites (SA) and villages of return (VAS).

The key findings from the assessments are presented in this snapshot report. Group discussions with IDPs (for SA) and with returning IDPs (for VAS) were asked if members of the target population in the location were aware of mechanisms to provide feedback and make complaints about the quality, quantity and appropriateness of the humanitarian aid they receive. In 59.20% of sites no IDPs in the location were aware of these mechanisms and in 52.56% of villages no returning IDPs were aware.

Between August and September 2023, IOM’s DTM deployed Site Assessment (SA) Round 34 and Village Assessment Survey (VAS) Round 17, carrying out a multisectoral location assessment. It is to be noted that Amhara region was largely uncovered this round due to increased insecurity, and both the IDP and returning IDP caseloads should likely be higher.

According to data collected through the Site Assessment round 34 August and September 2023, an estimated 3,459,881 IDPs (701,449 IDP households) were internally displaced across 2,544 assessed, accessible sites in Ethiopia. Conflict is the primary cause of displacement and displaced 2.2 million IDPs (64.66%), followed by drought which displaced an estimated 612,250 IDPs (17.7%). Somali region hosts the highest number of IDPs primarily displaced by drought nationwide (an estimated 410,749 individuals or 67.1% of the national drought caseload), while Tigray region hosts the highest number of IDPs primarily displaced by conflict nationwide (an estimated 943,285 individuals or 42.2% of the national conflict caseload).

According to the data collected through the Village Assessment Survey round 17 between August and September 2023, there were an estimated 2,530,101 returning IDPs (552,773 returning IDP households) across 2,072 assessed, accessible villages in Ethiopia. The highest returning IDP caseloads nationwide were in the regions of Tigray (1,503,141 returning IDPs, 59.41%), Amhara (an estimated 389,937 returning IDPs, 15.41%) and Afar (an estimated 222,894 returning IDPs, 8.81%).

Between August and September 2023, IOM’s DTM deployed Site Assessment (SA) Round 34 and Village Assessment Survey (VAS) Round 17, carrying out a multisectoral location assessment. It is to be noted that Amhara region was largely uncovered this round due to increased insecurity, and both the IDP and returning IDP caseloads should likely be higher. The National Displacement Map visualizes locations of displacement, density of displacement caseload, primary reasons for displacement, estimated displacement figures, and access constraints.