Factors Influencing Sustainability of Refugee Livelihoods: a Case of Doro Refugee Camp in Maban County, South Sudan

Abstract

According to the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) there are currently some 22.5 million refugees around the world, with South Sudan hosting 279,160 refugees as of 30 September 2017. Globally, livelihood programmes for these refugees are often launched without first mapping the local political and economic landscape and most refugees are unable to earn enough to meet their basic needs. Recently, attempts have been made to help refugees develop sustainable livelihoods and self-reliance. Weak basic social service delivery, poor infrastructure and limited market opportunities in host areas exacerbate the underlying poverty and vulnerabilities that create challenges for developing sustainable livelihoods. The main objective of the study was to establish factors influencing sustainability of refugee livelihoods using a case of Doro refugee camp in Maban County in South Sudan. Specifically, the study sought to establish how refugee environment, refugee social networks, refugee training and refugee access to credit influence the sustainability of refugee livelihoods in Doro refugee camp in Maban County. This study was anchored on the Sustainable Livelihoods Theory by Robert Chambers. The study used a descriptive research design. The target population for this study consisted of all refugee households in Doro refugee camp as well as five (5) members of staff working with the UNHCR in Maban County, South Sudan. The data for the research was mainly from both primary and secondary data. The study utilized a questionnaire and an interview guide as major research instruments. After data collection, the filled-in questionnaires were edited for completeness, coded and the information entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics and presented through percentages, means, standard deviations and frequencies. Content analysis was used to analyze open ended qualitative data and responses from the interview questions. The information was displayed by use of tables. The findings indicated that majority of the respondents (88%) had been issued with a refugee certificate while 12% held an asylum seeker document. The respondents were further asked how they earn income to meet their daily needs and 32% of the respondents reported they were casual workers while 23% depend on support from UNHCR and/or other refugee humanitarian actors. 32% of the respondents reported receiving social support from well-wishers and only 6% indicated they receive social support from immediate family and relatives in the diaspora. Further findings indicated that majority 293 (76%) of the respondents felt that they were not safe while only 93 (24%) of the respondents felt safe. The study further sought to find out the relationship of refugees with the host community where it was established that 54% of the respondents indicated that their relationship with the host community was fair. A majority 85% of the respondents indicated that they had attended school while only 15% indicated that they had not attended school. Of those who had attended school, 37% had gone to primary school, 33% secondary school with only 9% attaining a diploma and 6% being undergraduates. According to the findings, it was clear that lack of capital was the main hindrance to starting businesses as supported by 294 (76%) of the respondents. The study recommends that there is need for appropriate initiatives to be developed which support refugee livelihoods. The possibility of facilitating remittances, and/or, provision of cash grants could be considered as a means for injecting capital into the refugee camp economy. There is also need for total engagement of all stakeholders in the implementation of projects that support refugee livelihoods. There is also need for financial and management training and capacity building for refugees to be conducted on a more regular basis.