A Multi-Country Analysis of Multidimensional Poverty in Contexts of Forced Displacement

Yeshwas Admasu,Uche Eseosa Ekhator-Mobayode,Julieth Santamaria,Fanni Kovesdi,Sophie Scharlin-Pettee,Sabina Alkire

doi:10.1596/1813-9450-9826

Abstract

Despite the many simultaneous deprivations faced by forcibly displaced communities, such as food insecurity, inadequate housing, or lack of access to education, there is little research on the level and composition of multi- dimensional poverty among them, and how it might differ from that of host communities. Relying on house- hold survey data from selected areas of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, this paper proposes a Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) that captures the overlapping deprivations experienced by poor individuals in contexts of displacement. Using the MPI, the paper presents multi-country descriptive analysis to explore the relationships between multidimensional poverty, displacement status, and gender of the household head. The results reveal significant differences across displaced and host communities in all countries except Nigeria. In Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, female-headed households have higher MPIs, while in Somalia, those living in male-headed house- holds are more likely to be identified as multidimensionally poor. Lastly, the paper examines mismatches and overlaps in the identification of the poor by the MPI and the $1.90/ day poverty line, confirming the need for complementary measures when assessing deprivations among people in con- texts of displacement.

Highlights

As of December 2019,1 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence, or as a result of natural disasters
The highest level of poverty can be found in the Somalia population covered, where over 63% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and nearly 45% of the host community are identified as multidimensionally poor, while the lowest overall poverty is in the population covered in N.E Nigeria, with 23% of IDPs and 17% of non-IDPs suffering from poverty
Many countries show large inequalities, with displaced persons being poorer across all five countries according to Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and incidence of multidimensional poverty, with statistically significant result for all countries but Nigeria and South Sudan

Summary

Introduction

As of December 2019,1 UNHCR estimates that nearly 80 million people were forcibly displaced due to conflict and violence, or as a result of natural disasters. Close to 46 million people are internally displaced in their home country, and 26 million are living as refugees in a host country (UNHCR 2020). UNHCR (2020) estimates that over 80% of all displaced people reside in countries and areas affected by acute food insecurity and malnutrition, and many of the internally displaced and refugee families live in temporary housing or camps with basic living conditions and limited access to services and employment. Conflict and natural disasters have been temporary, resulting in fluctuations in the number of people fleeing their homes in any given country, the global number of IDPs and refugees has grown almost every year over the last two decades. To reflect the increase in forced displacement over the last decade and enable sustainable and long-term solutions to refugee situations, the UN Statistical Commission approved a new indicator, SDG Indicator 10.7.4, in early 2020 to measure and track the “proportion of population who are refugees, by country of origin” (UNHCR 2020)

Methods

Results

Conclusion