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Call for proposals: Livelihood interventions for internally displaced, at-risk and host communities
International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

Deadline: 24 February 2010

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) would like to work with national and international non-governmental organizations to promote recovery through improved livelihood opportunities to benefit Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), communities at risk of displacement, and host communities.

To that end, IOM invites all interested organizations to submit an Organization Profile and Concept Note in accordance with the guidance provided in this Call for Proposals.

IOM reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications received.

1. Background

Although there are no official statistics accurately quantifying the magnitude of displacement in Zimbabwe, a significant number of people have been uprooted or placed at high risk of displacement in the last decade throughout the country. Causes of displacement include the land reform, government operations with code name "Murambatsvina" (Operation Restore Order) and "Chikorokoza Chapera" (end illegal mining), political violence surrounding the protracted 2008 elections and widespread floods. In light of IOM's mandate to assist vulnerable migrants, and due to the difficulty of access to displaced communities and the political sensitivities involved in working with this category of vulnerable population, IOM and a few implementing partners have worked almost alone in assisting IDP communities for several years. Compounding these access challenges, many IDP communities were not recognized officially, which made it very difficult for organizations to design and negotiate programs to assist them.

To the extent necessary and affordable, IOM has endeavored to provide IDP communities with a comprehensive assistance package with assistance ranging from non-food item (NFI) kits supplied soon after displacement to durable shelter solutions. Between 2006 and 2009, IOM has assisted over half a million displaced persons and other vulnerable persons affected by displacement. IOM has often worked with partners in the delivery of this assistance.

There are significant differences in economic wellbeing among IDP communities, depending on many factors, including how much time has transpired since the displacement and the communities' access to land. IOM conducted a rapid assessment of 295 communities between February and May 2009 and concluded that 13% of these communities were still in an emergency phase while 87% were in an early recovery/reintegration phase.

Since that rapid assessment, new displacements and related vulnerabilities have continued to arise as farms are taken over by new owners and farm workers are evicted from their homes or have lots their access to livelihoods. The figures vary dramatically according to source as to the number of new households affected by farm invasions: IOM has recorded over 5,000 households that resided in farms that were taken over in 2009, many of whom have been evicted by the new owners.

Recently new opportunities have arisen to coordinate with government departments and non-governmental organizations to integrate IDPs and other vulnerable groups into these organizations' regular relief, emergency and recovery programs. Integration aims to enable IDPs to participate as full beneficiaries of these programs and to ensure that IDPs and their host communities are supported together. IOM actively pursues this "integration approach" through its leadership of the inter-institutional working group on mobile and vulnerable populations and continuous networking with local authorities and stakeholders, including humanitarian and development organizations with programs that could benefit IDPs.

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