CITIES OF REFUGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST Bringing an Urban Lens to the Forced Displacement Challenge Supported by the Preface T his policy note aims to advance our understanding of urban forced displacement, induced by conflict, by looking at the issue from the perspective of receiving towns and cities. It explores why we need a different approach to addressing urban forced displacement; how to “think differently” about urban forced displacement along the humanitarian-development assistance spectrum; what we can learn from existing urbanization and other relevant experiences to inform humanitarian and development responses; and what “thinking differently” means for local, national, and international development actors. The primary audiences of the note are development and humanitarian practitioners as well as policy makers who are increasingly confronted with the urban dimensions of protracted forced displacement. Photo credit: © Dominic Chavez/World Bank 4 / Bringing an Urban Lens to the Forced Displacement Challenge Key Messages Forced displacement is are already well established. This social tensions between displaced among the most pressing pattern is particularly evident in and host communities and do not the already highly urbanized MENA help host communities cope with challenges in the Middle region, where an estimated 80-90 the new needs arising from rapid East North Africa (MENA) percent of displaced live in towns population growth. region. and cities – significantly above the The number of people forcibly global average of 60 percent. displaced worldwide continues Recommendations for to increase, particularly in MENA, international agencies where waves of unrest and conflict Solutions for The main recommendation for have driven a huge increase in displacement must target international agencies is to integrate displacement. In 2016, there were host towns and cities. humanitarian and development an estimated 65.6 million people The shift in displacement from approaches in towns and cities forcibly displaced around the world, camps to towns and cities means hosting displaced populations from of which about one quarter were changing the paradigm for how the beginning. Important elements living in countries across the MENA humanitarian and development include: region. For each refugee displaced agencies work with displaced ▲▲ Developintegrated humanitarian in MENA, there are almost five populations. Instead of providing and development approaches to internally displaced people (IDPs). stand-alone solutions to displaced forced displacement in cities people in camps or rural areas, the challenge is to support host ▲▲ Promote the integration of civil Contrary to common society in the development communities to scale up existing belief, most of the services, shelter and jobs to meet response architecture forcibly displaced live the needs of both the original ▲▲ Work increasingly through outside of camps. residents and the displaced. national and local government When thinking of the displaced In towns and cities, targeted systems to deliver aid and and providing food, shelter and assistance to the displaced should services services, standalone camps run be complemented with place-based development approaches that build ▲▲ Mobilizeconcessional finance to by humanitarian agencies are the on existing governance structures scale up response capabilities in most common image. However, only and service delivery mechanisms affected countries and cities a minority of forcibly displaced people actually live in camps. to promote the welfare of all ▲▲ Improve the evidence base Today, most of the displaced are in residents, regardless of origin. for better development towns and cities, where provision Approaches that target assistance policy decision making and of services, shelter and livelihoods only for the displaced may heighten programming Recommendations for ▲▲ Adhere to policy standards Policy dialogue needs local governments related to refugees and internally to be sensitive to the displaced, as applicable and Local governments are at the political dynamics around with reference to international forefront of the response to urban commitments as entered into by forced displacement displacement. Priority interventions the respective countries Governments from both origin and for local and municipal governments include: host countries are at the center ▲▲ Implement coherent national of the crisis. Their decisions ▲▲ Scale up and expand basic polices in areas outside the direct affect the scale and destination of services and infrastructure control of local and municipal population movements, as well as based on a development, not governments, specifically in the the impacts and solutions in the emergency, approach areas of labor markets, land and short, medium, and long terms. housing markets, education and ▲▲ Leverage delivery modalities External development partners of service delivery to increase health can support the adoption and confidence and build trust ▲▲ Implement coherent national implementation of sound responses, between communities and local refugee and IDP policies, but the primary role rests with authorities as a basis for social including alternatives to camps, national and local authorities. cohesion as the main response focus Mitigating the impact of forced ▲▲ Leverage support from national displacement on host communities building social cohesion ▲▲ Support and international actors to (whether in camp or urban settings) address capacity and financing between displaced and host is not a strictly technical agenda. gaps communities as sine qua non for Political considerations often drive medium-term sustainability ▲▲ Enhance capacity and resilience the host authorities’ response, to better prepare for and respond ▲▲ Support policies to enable a and need to be taken into account to displacement challenges transition from humanitarian when supporting governmental first-response approaches to efforts. A development approach ▲▲ Promote local economic medium-term development should expand the focus from development and private sector approaches reducing the vulnerabilities of the participation for shared growth forcibly displaced to also mitigating ▲▲ Mobilizefinancing so that local impacts on host communities. This governments can meet increased Recommendations for financing needs holistic approach of supporting national governments the community as a whole can also reshape the political dialogue National governments also play a around forced displacement. critical role. Priority interventions for central governments include: