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Annual Report 2009


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2 annul Report 2009Norwegin Reugee Council

Content

Message froM the secretary general p 3

eMergency standby rosters p 5

advocacy and InforMatIon p 9

prograMMe actIvItIes p 17

fInancIal stateMent p 31

the norwegian refugee CounCil at work

Photo:astridSehl/NRC

When people are orceully displaced they normallylose everything: their homes and social networks,their jobs and incomes, and oten access tohealth care and education. They are robbed othe basic building blocks o lie, placing them ina vulnerable situation where they are at risk.

International protection exist or people who leeacross borders, but it can be more challenging tosecure protection or those displaced within their

own countries. Internally displaced people dependon their governments or their protection. Yet, as wehave seen in some countries, some governmentsare simply unwilling or unable to ulil their duty.

The Norwegian Reugee Council (NRC)operates in many diicult environments supportingover 3 million internally displaced people andreugees by providing humanitarian assistanceand protection. NRC also engages with local,

national, regional and international bodies raisingthe voice o the displaced with those who havethe power to protect them.

In addition NRC contributes towards indingdurable solutions or these populations and tostrengthening the ability o the United Nations toact switly and eiciently in humanitarian crises.

This Annual Report outlines the main NRCactivities in 2009.

43.2 million people weredisplaced in the world at theend of 2009.

DRC KONGO:NRCsta is distributingnon-ood items tointernally displaced

persons in NorthKivu in the eastern

part o the DemocraticRepublic o the Congo.


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3Norwegin Reugee Council

Large-scale new conlict induced displacementtook place in several o NRCs programmecountries throughout 2009, due to the militaryoensives in Pakistan, Somalia and theDemocratic Republic o the Congo, amongstothers. At the same time the number o returneesto Aghanistan dropped to the lowest point since2002. At the end o 2009, 43.2 million peoplewere displaced by armed conlict worldwide.NRCs Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre(IDMC) published a report indicating that 36million people were displaced by sudden-onsetnatural disasters, including 20 million displacedby climate related disasters, during the previousyear. Both conlict and natural disasters are

causing orced displacement in many o NRCsprogramme countries. This combination bringsnew challenges to our work, in particular in areaswhere the ight or limited natural resources islinked with armed conlict.

I am pleased to present the NorwegianReugee Councils Annual Report or 2009,which oers an overview o our activities. Thehumanitarian crises o today are increasinglycomplex to respond to. Global humanitarianneeds are vast and or each new crisis theinternational community is challenged to improveits ability to respond in a coordinated, eicientand accountable manner. NRCs specializedexperience and competence makes a dierenceor displaced people all over the world. Theprovision o expert personnel rom the NRCEmergency Standby Rosters improves thecapability o the UN to deliver assistance. TheNRC Emergency Standby Roster NORCAP, isnow the most used roster o its kind in the world.In collaboration with the Norwegian Ministry oForeign Aairs and the UN, NRC has developeda series o specialized rosters in addition toNORCAP, which allows us to respond aster,

with broader coverage and higher quality.

Main trends in 2009:The increasingly limited humanitarian space andthe ensuing lack o access to people in need,represents serious challenges in many countries.Every day people die because the access chal-lenges are not adequately addressed. NRC iscontinuously working to expand the humanitarianspace and increase the organisations operational

capacity by individual eorts and in collaborationwith NRC partners.

Humanitarian operations today ace obstaclessuch as lack o security, political leverage andunding. Whereas the appalling security situationin South Central Somalia continued to be a majorchallenge to the international humanitarianresponse, NRC developed operational method-ologies making it possible to deliver continuedassistance in areas where very ew actors werepresent.

In Aghanistan NRC worked to maintain itsreputation as an independent and impartial actor.In 2009 NRC strongly advocated or a clearseparation o humanitarian and military actions.In areas where the international communityspends billions o dollars to provide humanitarianas well as development assistance throughmilitary orces and private contractors, it isincreasingly diicult or independent actors touse the humanitarian principles as a tool tomaintain operational space.

Security or aid workers remained a concernin most o NRCs programme countries in 2009.This was attributed to a number o actors,

including the increasing number o humanitarianworkers deployed, the increasingly unstablesurroundings in which they work, and the erosiono the perception o neutrality and independenceo humanitarian actors. NRC continues to keepull attention on its security preventative systemsand could saely account or all its 2,600 sta in2009.

Another major challenge is increased displace-ment caused by natural disasters. In 2009, NRC

Message from the Secretary General

Photo:KristinSvorte/N

RC

ElisabEth Rasmusson hs been SecretryGenerl o the Norwegin Reugee

Council since 14 Jnury, 2008. Rsmus-

son hs degree in Politicl Science romthe University o Oslo nd hs hd long

creer in interntionl humnitrin work.

She hs previously been Deputy Hedo the OSCE Mission to Bosni nd

Herzegovin, Field Coordintor or theUN in angol nd Coopertion Coordintor

or the Interntionl Red Cross in Colombi.Rsmusson heded the NRC ofce inGenev, which hosts the worlds leding

dtbse or Internlly Displced Persons(IDMC). Rsmusson joined NRC rom her

position s Senior adviser the UN Deputy

Emergency Coordintor t UNs Ofce orthe Coordintion o Humnitrin airs.

More displaCeMent less aCCess

annul Report 2009

PAKISTAN, JULY 2009:In Sheik Yaseen camp, NRCSecretary General Elisabeth Rasmusson met with peoplewho have been displaced rom Swat Valley. More than 2million people were displaced by ghting between thePakistani army and Taliban in the North Western FrontierProvince in the spring and early summer o 2009 thelargest internal displacement in Pakistan since the divisiono India and Pakistan 50 years ago.

Foto:TrulsBrekke/NRC


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Message from the Secretary General

Foto:TrulsBrekke/NRC

Photo:SiriElverlnd/NRC

COLOMBIA, APRIL 2009:NRC Secretary General,

Elisabeth Rasmusson, ona visit to Colombia.

On entering its 63rd year of operations, NRCremains a vital, relevant and experienced organisation

and IDMC continued to study climate related

displacement, a concept subject to many beliesand political opinions but with limited systematicresearch. Through its in-depth reports and activeparticipation in global climate talks in the run upto the Climate Summit in Copenhagen (COP15)and active participation during the Summit, NRCand IDMC attracted international attention to theneed or urther research on protection and poli-cy matters as well as improved humanitarian re-sponse to natural disasters, in particular climaterelated displacement.

NRC continued to assist the people in Myanmaraected by the devastating cyclone Nargis inMay 2008. Despite the act that millions o peoplestill lack assistance, they are largely orgotten bythe world. This is a striking example o the shortattention span o the international community even to large-scale natural disasters. The unmetneeds in Myanmar are also a stark example othe consequences o international humanitarianresponse being inluenced by political interests.

Another issue high on the agenda in 2009 isthe act that more than hal o the worlds popu-lation now live in cities and that urban displace-ment is on the rise. There are approximately ive

million urban reugees under UNHCRs mandate.In addition millions o internally displaced people(IDPs) live in urban areas. This trend presents asigniicant challenge to the international community,which until now has tended to ocus on camp-based reugees and IDPs. NRC is adapting theresponse methodologies in urban settings wherewe are already operating and is engaging indialogue on an international policy level with theUN and other partners.

NRC strives to achieve ull accountability o all

its eorts towards its target groups, as well as todonors and partners. High priority was given tomanagement and sta development throughout2009, including training or expatriate managersand the development o a national ManagementTraining Programme. Implementation o the CoreActivity Database (CAD) in early 2009 is crucialto improving NRCs ability to achieve programmeobjectives in the ield through documentingquantitative and qualitative results.

On entering its 63rd year o operations,NRC remains a vital, relevant and experiencedorganisation ready to embark on new challengesin increasingly complex situations. The employeessuccessully continue to pull in the same directiontowards reaching our key organisational objectives.It is particularly satisying that the NRC team,in a lexible and collaborative spirit, has turnedthe overall economic result into surplus in 2009.NRC aces the coming year as a robustorganisation with a highly motivated sta in 20countries ready to assist millions o displacedpeople on our continents.

NORTHERN LEBANON, OCTOBER 2009:NRC Secretary General, Elisabeth

Rasmusson, during a visit to the Palestiniancommunities devastated by the Nahr

el-Bared confict in the spring o 2007.NRC is in the process o reconstruction

housing or Palestinian amilies in the Mo-hjareen neighbourhood o this area. Ras-musson discusses the project with NRC

Lebanon sta Ahmad Azzam, CountryDirector Ulla Backlund and Ivan Blazevic.


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Emergency Standby Rosters

Norwegian Capacity to International Operations (NORCAP) is one o theworlds leading and most requently used emergency standby rosters. NRCoperates NORCAP on behal o the Norwegian Ministry o Foreign Aairs(MFA) recruiting personnel, acilitating deployment and continuously

developing the secondment mechanism.

The NORCAP mandate is to strengthen theability o the UN and other international organi-sations to act switly in all stages o a crisis, bysupplying competent personnel within a broadspectrum o expertise. The goal is or the rosterto comprise 850 men and women rom Norway,Arica, The Middle East and Asia, who are readyto deploy anywhere in the world within 72 hours.

NORCAP personnel contribute in two main

areas: Enhancing the capacity, relevance, adapta-bility and eiciency o our partners in humanitarianoperations and providing civilian monitors andobservers.

In addition to NORCAP, the UN and NRC havedeveloped a range o specialized emergency

rosters: ProCap and GenCap supply experts onprotection and gender respectively. The MediationSupport Unit (MSU) consists o recognized expertson peace mediation. NORCAP/UN is a pool oNorwegian management candidates to the UN.The Norwegian Bank o Resources on Democracyand Human Rights (NORDEM) supplies, amongother expertise, election observers. The Assess-ment Capacity roster (ACAPS) was established

in 2009.The NRC operated emergency rosters contributeto ensuring that people in need receive swit andeicient assistance and protection, regardless otheir religion, race, nationality or political views.

at a MoMents notiCe

Photo:andreNletto/NRC

SUDAN, 2008:A learner at a NRC Youth Education Pack(YEP) Centre in Southern Kordoan. NRC was evictedrom this area by the Sudanese government in 2009, asa consequence o the arrest warrant or the Sudanese

president issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).


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Photo:MFa

/BjrnSvennungsen

iMproved CapaCitywith new dealIn 2009, NRC signed a new ramework agreement with the NorwegianMinistry o Foreign Aairs (MFA), which increased the ability o theEmergency Response Department to meet urgent personnel needs ina humanitarian crisis.

OSLO, APRIL 2009:Director General Geir O. Pedersen,Department or UN, Peace and Humanitarian Aairs,the Norwegian Ministry o Foreign Aairs and NRCSecretary General Elisabeth signed a new and improvedemergency roster agreement on 1 April, 2009.


http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/aktuelt/nyheter/2009/nrc_ud.html?id=552984

Since 1991 NRC has received individual undingor a wide range o emergency projects. As rom1 January 2009, a single three-year MFA agree-ment replaced previous arrangements. Simulta-neously a group o rosters were incorporated inthe new NORCAP brand.

The Norwegian Ministry o Foreign Aairsviews NORCAP as an important political tool orproviding humanitarian assistance, preventingcrisis and supporting societies aected byconlict. In 2009 the emergency roster contributedto achieving a number o goals stipulated inWhite Paper 40 (2008-2009): NorwegianHumanitarian Policy. One such goal is that Norwayseeks to be among the leading political and inan-cial partners in international humanitarian eorts.Another is supporting the ability o the internationalcommunity to respond to uture challenges.

NORCAP has 14 UN partner organisations,making the UN its main partner. In 2009 theroster supplied personnel to 11 dierent UNorganisations and integrated missions. Thenumber o secondments increased slightlycompared to 2008. NORCAP received349 personnel requests, and responded to75 percent. 185 experts were seconded to36 countries, contributing more than 1,000man-months. NORCAP accomplished its goalby giving eedback on 75 percent o all requestswithin 24 hours.

NORCAP is actively recruiting members rom

the Global South. In 2009 more than 150 rostermembers were rom Arica, Asia or the MiddleEast. More than 60 o them were on assignmentin 2009.
http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/aktuelt/nyheter/2009/nrc_ud.html?id=552984http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/aktuelt/nyheter/2009/nrc_ud.html?id=552984http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/ud/aktuelt/nyheter/2009/nrc_ud.html?id=552984


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annul Report 2009Norwegin Reugee Council 7


In 2009, the NORCAP roster has become better tuned to current anduture needs o the UN through targeted recruitment.

The roster is developed in close and continuousdialogue with the UN centrally, regionallyand in the ield as well as through annualconsultations. In 2009 the Emergency ResponseDepartment visited UN oices on 12 occasionsto identiy uture needs. An example showingthe adaptability o the roster is the increase insecondments to Ethiopia in 2009, ollowing adirect request not anticipated by NORCAP.Another example is the ocus on recruiting rostermembers with competence in child protectionand education.

The seconded have to a larger degree contrib-

uted to strategic processes and are otenseconded to key UN organisations, such as themain NORCAP partners WFP, OCHA, UNHCRand UNICEF. Hence the roster increasinglyincludes experts on more strategic processes,such as organisational development and auditing.

NORCAP personnel increasingly contribute tocapacity building within the UN. The secondeddo more than ill in personnel gaps. They provideield experience and act as independent dialoguepartners in strategic processes such as theongoing reorm work and the development o aglobal cluster approach to humanitarian aairs.

a strategiC partner40 percent of all internally displaced

people in 2009 live in Africa

HEBRON, MAY 2009:Part o TIPH-observerFazel Sabetzadehs dailyroutine is engaging inconversation with thecitizens o Hebron. Atany given time TIPH(Temporary InternationalPresence in Hebron)consists o between 50and 60 civilian observersrom the member statesNorway, Italy, Switzerland,Turkey, Denmark andSweden.

Photo:NRC

www.tiph.org

NORCAP 2009:The new secondment mechanism encompassing all NRC rosters represents more than anadministrative improvement. It provides a more potent instrument or responding to the needs o our partners.
http://www.tiph.org/http://www.tiph.org/


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reCruitingin CyberspaCePreviously prospective roster candidates couldapply or membership twice annually. In 2009,

the application process was made more lexible,allowing candidates to apply continuously via theweb. The new recruitment policy enhances theability o NRC to keep the roster updated. In2009 the dierent rosters had more applicantsthan ever close to 2000.

sexual violenCein foCusAt the end o 2009, NRC and the GenCapSteering Committee decided to expand the

specialized GenCap roster, by recruitingmembers with in depth knowledge on sexualviolence. The aim is to increase GenCapsecondments by 40 percent in 2010.

The GenCap roster also established asecretariat within the UN Oice or Coordinationo Humanitarian Aairs (OCHA) in Geneva,to acilitate contact between the SteeringCommittee and the NRC.

new rosterA new roster was established in December 2009:The Assessment Capacity roster (ACAPS). Itsgoal is to strengthen the international capacity toassess humanitarian needs in a crisis. The rosterwas established in cooperation with two BritishNGOs, Merlin and Helpage. NRC will recruit60 experts and acilitate deployment. ACAPS isendorsed by the Inter-Agency Standing CommitteeTask Force and is linked to global cluster andregional initiatives.

Photo:NRC

SUDAN, FEBRUARY 2009:Humanitarian Aairs Ocer Patric Mansour leads a strategy meetingunder the Acacia tree in El-Faser. Mansour was seconded to OCHA in Sudan in 2009.


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Advocacy and Information

Being an operational humanitarian agency represents only one pillar

o the NRC mandate. NRC is also a rights based organisation activelyinvolved in advocacy and inormation to secure the rights o reugeesand internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The strength o NRC as a rights advocate andthe ability to apply political pressure is derivedrom the organisations operational work. Throughextensive ield experience NRC documents lacko protection or humanitarian assistance andabuse, and suggests how to remedy the situation.The hands on knowledge, makes the organisationa strong advocate, a voice carrying weight arinto the corridors o power.

The bulk o the advocacy work takes place inthe ield, with local, regional and national authorities

as well as international agencies ocussingon humanitarian assistance and protection such as the UNHCR and OCHA.

The main advocacy and inormation issues in2009 were United Nations reorm, displacementand climate change and shrinking humanitarianspace in conlict-ridden countries. In Norway,the parliamentary elections also presentedan opportunity to raise humanitarian issues ina Norwegian context. The gender aspect isembedded in all advocacy and inormation work.

speaking upfor the displaCed


BURUNDI, 2009:A Burundi boyenrolled in an NRC school.


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Photo:UNHCR/H.Cux

a strong voiCe onCliMate ChallengesClimate change is causing massive displacement today. The humanitarianconsequences need to be addressed.

In close cooperation with UNHCR, OHCA andIOM, NRC has actively engaged with the partiesto the UN climate convention prior to the climatesummit in Copenhagen in December 2009 (COP15). The goal was to establish recognition o

the displacement actor in climate change andensure that the inal accord addressed currentand uture humanitarian consequences.

NRC has been present at all major negotiationsessions in the run up to COP 15. In Barcelona,Bangkok and Bonn NRC co-hosted high levelside events with OCHA, UNHCR and IOM engaging in dialogue with the delegates.Throughout 2009 NRC also gave talks on the

topic in academic, political and public orums inNorway and internationally. In Copenhagen NRCco-hosted a public side event in the centre oCopenhagen as well as a high level side eventat the Bella centre where the talks took place.

NRC and its partners were pleased to note agroundbreaking recognition o the displacementactor in climate change among the world leadersin Copenhagen. Unortunately the parties onlymanaged to agree on a reduced and non-legallybinding Copenhagen Accord. NRC will continuethe advocacy work towards the next climatesummit in Mexico in 2010, where the conventionpartners aim to secure a legally binding accord.

Advocacy and InformationCHAD:A Sudanesereugee hoists a jerry cano water out o a well inBirak, Chad. The Localsgenerously share theirdwindling water supplieswith thousands o newlyarrived reugees rom theDarur region.

20 million people were displaced bysudden onset climate related disastersin 2008 alone (IDMC, 2009)

In November 2009,NRC Secretary GeneralElisabeth Rasmussonwas among 200 worldleaders rom governments,businesses and civilsocieties invited by BanKi-Moon to New York inthe run up to COP 15. Thepurpose o the meetingwas to mobilise support orthe upcoming climatesummit in Copenhagen.The invitation representedrecognition o NRCscontribution to ensuringthat uture climate accordsaddress the humanitarianconsequences o climatechange, such as displace-ment.

aniMportant

voiCe


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a norMative fraMework: The

need to develop normtive

rmework on displcement inthe wke o climte chnge ws

nother core dvoccy nd inorm-tion issue deling with climte

chllenges in 2009. Sttes nd

interntionl orgnistions needto develop tools, guidelines nd

greements securing protection opeople displced by climte relted nturl dissters. NRC issued

the report Climte Chnged, People Displced to ddress the

issue. The Norwegin Foreign Minister Jons Ghr Stre wsone o the spekers t n NRC seminr on climte chnge nd

displcement in Oslo in October where the report ws lunched.

ClimateChanged:

PeoPle

disPlaCed

Athematic reportfromthe

Norwegian Refugee Council,

2009REPORTS

expanding the

huManitarian spaCeIt has become increasingly diicult or humanitarianorganisations to access people in need. In 2009,NRC developed a comprehensive advocacy strategyto address the situation.

A combination o actors challenges the ability othe international community to take humanitarianaction, particularly in on-going conlicts: Warareis becoming increasingly asymmetrical with a di-versity o government and non-state armed actors.Respect or international humanitarian law hasdiminished. Civilians are increasingly targeted, asare humanitarian workers. The security o civiliansand humanitarian workers alike is urther exas-perated by the increased tendency by donorsto link humanitarian aid to military goals under-

mining the neutrality o humanitarian aid agencies.In some countries the governments prevent accessto their displaced populations by way o bureaucraticand practical obstacles.

The new Global Advocacy Strategy, developedin 2009, ocus particularly on how to expandthe humanitarian space and represent a potentadvocacy instrument. The strategy will be imple-mented in 2010.

Advocacy and inormation on access challengesin the ield has continued while the strategy wasdrawn up. Due to its sensitive nature, most o thiswork was carried out silently rather than in thepublic realm. The advocacy ocus was on therights o the displaced to receive humanitarianassistance and protection, not the rights o NRCto operate in given areas.

AFGHANISTAN, 2009:Children rom amiliesrecently returned rom exile in Iran living ina transit camp in Sar-i-Pul. The deterioratingsecurity situation in Aghanistan restrictsaccess to many returnees and displaced

people in need o humanitarian assistance.

20 Million displaCed: In 2009,NRCs Internl Displcement

Monitoring Centre (IDMC) nd

OCHa issued the report Monitoringdisster displcement in the context

o climte chnge. The report

reveled tht 20 million people weredisplced by sudden onset climte

relted dissters in 2008. The reportlso presented methodology on how to monitor displcement

cused by climte chnge, in order to produce relible estimtes

or the uture. It is frst step towrds more knowledge bout oneo the gretest humnitrin chllenges o our time.

Foto:ShunScles/NRC


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12Norwegin Reugee Council annul Report 2009

In October 2009, the Arican Union adopted the Arican Convention on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).NRCs Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has campaigned actively in support o the convention.

The convention is the irst regional instrument inthe world to impose legal obligations on states inrelation to the protection and assistance o IDPs.Its adoption has been widely recognised as anhistoric achievement. With unding rom theNorwegian Ministry o Foreign Aairs IDMCengaged in a series o activities prior to andduring the AU summit in Kampala, where theconvention was eventually signed.

The AU IDP convention will only come intoorce once it has been ratiied by 15 AU memberstates. IDMC will work with civil society organisa-tions and parliamentarians in selected memberstates, to raise awareness o the convention andpromote its ratiication. In 2009, IDMC drated aguide or civil society on the implications o theconvention.

IDMC has also kept up its regular activities

a proteCtion Milestone

Photo:ErikTresse/NRC

global overview:

The annual GlobalOverview rom NRCsInternal DisplacementMonitoring Centre(IDMC) remains the authoritative source oninternal displacement worldwide. It is widelyused as a reerence tool by the UN, govern-ments, international media and academicinstitutions. In 2009 the online IDMC data-base recorded 280,000 unique hits.

return in dignityIn 2009, the INCOR project (Inormationand counselling on repatriation and return)has coached 300 sta at asylum receptioncentres in Norway in all aspects o the returnprocess or rejected asylum seekers. TheINCOR project partners beneited rom theextensive ield knowledge generated by theNRC through its program activities.

INCOR was set up in 1995. It was origi-nally a repatriation project, but was overthe years developed to include a varietyo councelling initiatives on repatriationand return. The Norwegian Directorate oImmigration (UDI) has unded the project.In spite o positive eedback rom thebeneiciaries and continued demand, theunding has been discontinued. INCOR willbe terminated in March 2010.

monitoring IDPs in more than 50 countries,providing comprehensive inormation andanalysis on their situation. Based on itsmonitoring and data collection activities, thecentre advocates or durable solutions to theplight o the internally displaced in line withinternational standards. IDMC also carries outtraining activities to enhance the capacity olocal actors to respond to the needs o IDPs.

Advocacy and InformationDR CONGO, OCTOBER2009:A woman is buildinga shelter or her amily inthe Mugunga 3 camp orinternally displaced personsin Goma. More than onemillion people have beendisplaced by the confict inDR Congo in 2009 alone.

www.internal-displacement.org/
http://www.internal-displacement.org/http://www.internal-displacement.org/


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A newly developed strategy reairms the commitment o NRC to a stronginternational humanitarian system with the United Nations (UN) at its core.

Supporting the UN is entrenched in the NRCmandate. A strong UN, demonstrating leadership,providing and coordinating protection and assist-ance, as well as deending humanitarian principles,is vital to all humanitarian action.

NRCs Humanitarian Strategy Towards theUnited Nations has been developed to improvethe quality and eectiveness o UN-led humani-tarian protection, assistance and coordination, inthe spirit o partnership.

The strategy ocuses on maintaining a closedialogue with relevant UN agencies, such as

UNHCR, OCHA and the UN Representative othe Secretary General on the Human Rights oInternally Displaced Persons (RSG). The NRCseeks to assist the UN by engaging in dialogueand advocacy on many levels spanning romgeneral humanitarian challenges, such as lacko access to people in need, to organisationaland practical challenges within the UN, suchas enhanced humanitarian coordination and ieldimplementation o humanitarian reorm.

NRCs Internal Displacement Monitoring

Centre (IDMC) plays a vital role in strengtheningthe monitoring, analysis and advocacy work onbehal o IDPs, and thereby strengthening UNsevidence base or assisting and protecting peoplein need. In addition the emergency standby rostersoperated by NRC enhance UNs humanitarian

preparedness and response capacity.NRC believes the UN strategy will contribute

to strengthening the ability o the UN to addresscurrent and uture displacement and humanitarianneeds.

a strong united nations

Photo:E.Hockstein/UNHCR


Displacement and humanitarian needs in thewake o the war in Gaza war, the end o thewar in Sri Lanka, the deteriorating security inAghanistan and the increasing insurgency andensuing military operations in Pakistan, were

a visible advoCate in the newsamong the main issues raised in the media in2009. In April, North Sudan dominated the mediacoverage, ollowing the eviction o NRC andother international humanitarian organisations.

A visible and requent presence in the media is

NRC was among the our most citedhumanitarian organisations inNorwegian media in 2009, with a devi-ation number o 22 million per month.

an important part o NRCs advocacy andinormation strategy, and ormed an integratedpart o the launch o Global Overview, Flyktning-regnskapet and the climate reports in 2009.

KENYA, AUGUST 2009:New Somali reugee arrivals getinstructions about camp registration rom UNHCR sta atHagadera camp, Dadaab. NRC is part o the coordinated

humanitarian response in Daadab, and expanded activitiessignicantly due to the high number o new arrivals.

NRC has oces in Brussels, Geneva and New York.The Brussels oce is dealing with the EU. TheGeneva and New York oces spearhead the NRCadvocacy eorts directed at various U N organisations.


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On 31 August 2009, NRC organised a debateon reugee policies at the Nobel Peace Centre the only debate ocusing on the issue duringthe entire Norwegian parliamentary electioncampaign. The debate was a huge success,underlining that NGOs have the ability to set thepublic agenda.

NRC was the irst Norwegian NGO to everbroadcast this type o debate live through a serieso web-TV channels, reaching a potential audienceo 1.5 million. For the irst time NRC also engagedthe web audience through Twitter, making itpossible or them to participate in the debate.The NRC Secretary General also participated in

online chats on reugee policies via the nationalnewspapers Atenposten and VG.

See the debate on web-TV:

online eleCtion debate

http://www.lyktninghjelpen.no/?aid=9425781

OSLO, AUGUST 31, 2009:All majorpolitical parties in Norway participated in

the election debate on reugee policies.

The NRC web contains news, statistics and

inormation on the reugee situation in morethan 180 countries. The web has been an activechannel or advocacy and inormation on allkey issues in 2009. In 2009 the web team hasstrengthened its cooperation with NRCs Internal

Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) in

Geneva. The result is increased input romNRCs ield activities. In the autumn work beganon upgrading and redesigning the web. The newweb will be implemented in 2010 in time or theupcoming NRK telethon.

a dynaMiC sourCe of inforMationThe NRC web is Norways most comprehensive online collection o updatedinormation on all aspects o orced migration.

follow nrC!In 2009 NRC has incorporated socialmedia in its online inormation strategy.You can now ollow the organisationon Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Participation in social media strengthensthe NRCs presence in the public debate.

world displaCeMent status report:

Flyktningregnskapet is an annualNorwegian report containing statisticsand analysis on thestatus or reugees

and internallydisplaced personsin more than80 countries.

online design award:

The Norwegian Design Councilpresented NRC with the award DesignEekt 2009 or the web-design onwww.lyktninghjelpen.no and the onlinestore www.gavermedmening.no.

FLYKTNINGREGNSKAPET

2009

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E

ET

A L T o m

m E N N E S K E R P

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v E R d E N

Photo:NRC

Photo:Uniform
http://www.flyktninghjelpen.no/?aid=9425781http://www.flyktninghjelpen.no/http://www.gavermedmening.no/http://www.facebook.com/pages/NRC-Flyktninghjelpen/140883578419http://www.youtube.com/user/NorwRefugeeCouncilhttp://twitter.com/NRC_Norwayhttp://www.gavermedmening.no/http://www.flyktninghjelpen.no/http://www.flyktninghjelpen.no/?aid=9425781


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Norwegin Reugee Council 15 annul Report 2009


a fresh perspeCtiveNRC took a bold step in 2009,introducing a unique magazine oninternational aairs.

Most NGOs issue magazines ocusing on theirown activities as part o their communicationstrategy as did NRC with P Flukt. Themagazine Perspektiv is an innovative newconcept with a much wider scope. As theNorwegian media continues to step down itsinternational coverage, Perspektiv representsan eort to bridge the inormation gap. Rather

than ocusing on NRCs results in the ield,Perspektiv strives to present reportages,comments and analysis o the root causes oorced migration. The aim is to raise awarenesso conlicts and emergencies, which rarely makeit into mainstream news. The coverage is notlimited to countries where NRC is present.

The contributors are a mix o distinguishedvoices in the public debate, well known journalists,reelancers and NRC employees sharing theirexpertise. Perspektiv has been well received bystakeholders, politicians, journalists and scholars,and quoted in the regular media on severaloccasions. The role taken on by NRC withPerspektiv has also sparked a debate in themedia on who should deliver the news. Perspektivis currently the biggest magazine dedicated tointernational aairs in Norway.

Et utEnriksmagasin fra flyktninghjElpEn 04/2009 kr.79

ISSN 1891-2230

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Dette er konfiktene verdens

ledere vil stri med de neste rene.

perspektiv in a nutshell

Circulation20,000

4issuesannually

Distributedfreeto10,000sponsorsand stakeholders

Morethan1,000copiessoldviathe

magazine distributor Narvesen FundedbyGovernmentgrants,advertising

and magazine sales

ISSN 1891-2230 PROFILEN

sneSeierstad Historienskrivesn

AKTUELT

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Narkotikasomdrivkrafti krigogkonikt

ET UTENRIKSMAGASIN FRA

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HOPE?GeneralsekretrBanKi-moonvillereformere FN. Mendet nye led-erskapet harikkeinnfridd de storeforventningene,sierRaymondJohansen. FN TRENGER EN OBAMA

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KRIGEN MOT

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3PERSPEKTIVNR. 03.2009

ET UTENRIKSMAGASIN FRA FLYKTNINGHJELPEN 03/2009 KR.79

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ILLUSTRASJON:

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publiC debatesIn October, the Perspektiv editorial grouporganized a debate at Litteraturhuset inOslo on the situation in Israel and theoccupied Palestinian territories. The aim othe Perspektiv debates is to enhance theeort to raise awareness about neglectedconlicts and emergencies causing displace-ment. The debates will continue in 2010.


16/43

Norwegin Reugee Council


16 annul Report 2009

In 2009, the UNHCR and NRC joinedorces to enhance the recognition andprestige o the annual Nansen ReugeeAward honouring people who workrelentlessly or the rights o reugees.

UNHCR and NRC hope to achieve agreater ocus on the reugee situationthrough the Nansen award.

In 2009, late Senator Edward

Kennedy was the recipient o theNansen Reugee Award. Kennedywas a lietime champion o nationallegislation, oten addressing key reugeeissues in the Senate. His wie Vicky

Kennedy accepted the prize on hisbehal during a ceremony at the ReagenCenter in Washington DC in September.

learning Centre: In 2009, the Norad sponsored Utviklingshuset in Oslo opened its doors to the public.The educational centre on aid and development incorporates a presentation o NRC shelter projects inAghanistan. The above picture is rom shelter construction in Sar-i-Pul.

Foto:UNHCR

Involve Yoursel is a Norad sponsoredyouth project in Norway, aimed atinvolving young people in the ight orHuman Rights. Five Norwegian NGOsrun the project on behal o Norad:NRC, Save the Children, The Red Cross,Norwegian Church Aid and Norwegian

Peoples Aid. In 2009 the projectocussed on inspiring young peopleto use social media in their ight orHuman Rights. 4,300 youth gave theirace to the campaign on the web. TheInvolve Yoursel project also organiseda daylong concert on YouTube.

involve yourself

edward kennedy honored

Photo:ShunScles/NRC


17/43


Programme Activities

The operational ield activities represent theheart o the organisation. NRCs programmeactivities ocus on ive core activities:

Camp managementMore than 10 million displaced people live incamps. NRC runs camps in several countries,

providing assistance and protection to thedisplaced, ensuring eicient managementthrough close coordination with a wide range ostakeholders. NRC is an active part o the CampCoordination and Camp Management Cluster(CCCM). NRC also provides camp managementtraining and coaching and camp monitoring.

Food security and distributionConlicts and natural disasters aect the mostbasic needs o human beings: Access to ood andclean water. NRC distributes ood and non-ooditems (such as kitchen sets, hygiene kits and jerrycans) and runs school eeding programs. NRCsprogramme activities also seek to restore oodsecurity, by or instance providing assistance inrestoring or developing new livelihoods.

Building homes and schoolsNRC provides displaced populations with emer-gency shelters in camps or other temporary livingquarters. An equally important part o the shelter

strategy is providing long-term solutions. NRCbuilds permanent housing or reugees and IDPs,both in their new environs and upon return. NRCalso builds and reconstructs schools.

EducationThrough a variety o education programmes NRC

targets children and adolescents whose educationhas been disrupted by displacement. Catch-upclasses help children and adolescents or a year,beore they are transerred to local schools.Where there are no schools, Accelerated LearningProgrammes allow children and adolescents tocomplete basic education in hal the normal time.A one year Youth Education Pack oers literacy,lie skills and vocational training to improve thesel-reliance o young people. NRC also coachesand monitors trainers and teachers.

Inormation, Counselling and

Legal AssistanceNRCs Inormation, Counselling and Legal Assist-ance (ICLA) activities are designed to empowerIDPs, reugees and returnees to make ree andinormed decisions. The ICLA activities ocusparticularly on housing, land and property rights,legal identity and corresponding rights, employment,pensions, amily issues and protection or victimso sexual and gender based violence.

Photo:andreNletto/NRC

TIMOR-LESTE, MARCH 2010:Education is a basic human right, but it is alsoa response mechanism or protection and a prerequisite or rehabilitation oconfict torn societies. These primary school pupils attend one o the 30 schoolsin Timor-Leste where NRC runs Compact Teacher Training programmes.

In 2009, The Norwegian Reugee Council (NRC) had programme activitiesin 19 countries in Arica, South-America, Asia, The Middle East and TheCaucasus providing assistance and protection to internally displacedpersons (IDPs), reugees and returnees.

nrC in the field


18/43


To address the need or guidelines and strate-

gies, NRC shelter advisers actively participate inthe Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)Task Force on Meeting Humanitarian Challengesin Urban Areas.

In November 2009, the Task Force presenteda strategy and action plan or approval by IASCmember agencies on how to respond moreeectively to urban humanitarian crises.

Via the Geneva based Shelter Centre and itsUK Department or International Developmentinanced unding mechanism, NRC started aso-called Shelter Sector Project. The objective isto develop guidelines and assistance methods

addressing speciic challenges when assisting

reugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)

in urban settings.The guidelines ocus on identiication,

registration and proiling, in order to addressthe livelihood situation, map and assist uturemigration intentions and strengthen relations tothe general urban population. They also ocuson security o tenure, land and property rights,assistance methods, the role o humanitarianorganisations, advocacy and mediation, as wellas settlement management and capacity buildingo authorities.

The project is managed by the shelter advisersand supported by the independent consultant

Kate Craword. OCHA, World Vision, Mdecins

Sans Frontires (MSF), Practical Action, Habitat

or Humanity and Skat are active partners in theproject. The guidelines will be inalized by May2010.

NRC has also taken an active role through theCamp Coordination and Camp Managementcluster (CCCM), in order to acilitate the responseto urban displacement. The irst step has been todevelop guidelines or operations in CollectiveCenters, oten ound in more urban contexts.

urban displaCeMentAn increasing number o displaced

people are seeking protection andshelter in urban areas. In 2009,NRC has been actively involved inaddressing the urban challenges.

Developing guidelines and strategies allowinghumanitarian organisations to better adjust theirassistance methods and reconstruction options tothe speciic needs o urban displacement is vital.

Urban displacement arise both rom atemporary inlux to urban areas in the wake oan emergency, as well as rom resettlement in

or to urban areas as part o a durable solution.

KENYA:Increasing fooding in rural areas o WesternKenya is expected to cause more people to seek reugein urban areas such as the massive Kibera slum in theoutskirts o Nairobi. Kibera is already home to more than

one million people, 25 % o Nairobis total population.


Photo:Christinals/Pnos/FelixFetures


19/43

Norwegin Reugee Council 19 annul Report 2009

Cash and vouChers pilot

BURUNDI, 2009:NRC provides legal assistance toreturnees in Burundi. Land disputes are a commonobstacle acing returnees. Liberia is one o the countrieswhere NRC applies alternative dispute resolutionmethodologies.


The winter o 2008-2009, NRC set up a cash and vouchers pilot project in Aghanistan.


The methodologies are adapted to the speciiccontext in each country, and sometimes to regionswithin the countries or urban versus rural contexts.Most countries where the methodologies havebeen implemented are aected by legal pluralism,i.e. multiple legal systems within one geographicarea, which create conusion as to what lawsshould be applied to solve disputes. In additionstate institutions, including justice systems andland administrations, are weak or non-existentand the population resorts to the mechanismsthat traditionally have kept social peace in thecommunities. However, even those mechanismshave been aected by conlict and new structureswith less legitimacy and more partiality appear.

In these circumstances alternative disputeresolution yields good results. NRC is currentlyapplying these methodologies in Liberia, CtedIvoire, Sudan, DR Congo, Burundi and Uganda.In 2010, NRC will develop standard modelsadaptable to other countries.

solving

land

disputesBy developing and applying alternativedispute resolution methodologies,NRCs Inormation, Counselling andLegal Assistance (ICLA) programmesare increasingly succeeding in solvingland disputes.

Instead o in-kind distributions, displaced persons

were presented with cash and vouchers to beused at their own discretion. NRC views cashand vouchers as a more appropriate and digniiedsolution, as it increases peoples choice andstrengthens local markets.

The new approach was applied to ood

security, shelter and education core activitiesin Aghanistan. NRC plans to set up pilotprojects in our more countries in 2010, tourther understand the useulness o a cashand voucher approach to humanitarian needs.

NRC is also a member o the steering

committee o the global Cash LearningPartnership (CaLP), which gives theorganisation entry to the latest policydiscussions and access to cutting-edgeresearch and training opportunities.



20/43


Madame Gargars neighbours disputed hertenure to the land she has occupied or 22 years.Distressed that she might lose the source oood and income with which she supports her

household o 14 amily members or that theconlict could turn into violence, she soughtassistance rom NRC Liberias Inormation,Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) project.NRC sta ound out that Madame Gargar wasthe victim o raud when she purchased theproperty in 1988. The person who sold her theland misrepresented himsel as the owner andorged the title deed. Unclear land laws andweak government institutions makes rauddiicult to detect.

Ater extensive mediation, the original owneracknowledged that Madame Gargar acted in

good aith and had made enormous eorts tomake the property habitable and productive andagreed to ormally transer the land against areasonable ee.

On 28 February 2010, NRC conducted asurvey to establish the quantity o land, demarcateboundaries and prepare a title deed. Today MadameGargar enjoys access and increased security otenure to the land.

integrated

gender

foCusGender ocus is integrated in allNRC programme activities. The storyo Mary Gargar rom Liberia is atypical example.

Programme Activities LIBERIA 2009:MaryGargar explains her landdispute to NRC sta.

More national

ManagersIn 2009, NRC developed a management trainingprogramme aimed at increasing the number onationally employed managers. In addition tocreating a long-term career path or nationalsta, the initiative aims to secure proessionaldevelopment o key national sta in accordancewith new challenges in international humanitarianwork. Seven new national managers in NRCsSomalia/Kenya programme have been selectedto participate. The programme will be launchedin January 2010 with a workshop in leadership

and coaching in Nairobi. The NRC NationalManagement Training Programme will beimplemented in ten more countries in 2010.

Core aCtivitydatabaseThe implementation o the Core Activity Database(CAD) started in January 2009, and is now anintegral part o NRCs programme monitoring

and reporting. CAD is key to NRCs ocus onand ability to achieve programme objectives inthe ield through documenting quantitative andqualitative results or all o NRCs programmes,enhancing the organisations accountabilitytowards its beneiciaries and donors. CAD is alsoa valuable tool or analyzing and optimizing theeect and quality o NRCs core activities andprojects in programme countries

Photo:J.Jckson/NRC

AFRICA


21/43

Norwegin Reugee Council annul Report 200921

In 2009, NRC had programme activities in19 countries in Arica, Asia, South America,

The Middle East and The Caucasus. Inaddition NRC cooperates with the DanishReugee Council on a project in Chechnya.Two programme were discontinued by theend o the year Nepal and The CentralArican Republic. NRC visited Iran, Iraqand Yemen in the second hal o 2009, toevaluate the possibility o establishingprogramme activities. NRC completed anapplication to the government o Zimbabweat the end o the year, and hopes to start

programme activities in 2010.

prograMMeCountries2009


At the end o 2008 the last rebel group, NationalLiberation Forces (FNL), laid down its arms. Nonew conict-induced displacement was reported in2009. Up to 100,000 internally displaced persons(IDPs) remain. Most o them have integrated inthe towns and villages they ed to. More than500,000 reugees have returned rom neigh-bouring countries since 2002, mainly Tanzania.Fewer reugees than expected returned in 2009

due to insecurity regarding the upcoming electionsin the summer o 2010. Burundi reugees livingin Tanzania since 1972 were also given theopportunity to apply or citizenship in 2009. InMarch 2010 155,000 succeeded. A politicalmilestone was reached in 2009, as the fnaldemobilisation o FNL was agreed upon and theormer rebel group converted into a registeredpolitical party. Being one o the worlds poorestcountries Burundi still aces grave humanitarianchallenges.

NRC established programme activities inBurundi in 1997. The country ofce is locatedin Bujumbura, and the feld ofces in Muyinga,Makamba and Ruyigi. NRC is engaged in all coreactivities in Burundi, except ood distribution. Theoverall objective in Burundi is to promote and

protect the basic rights o returnees, I DPs andreugees and to acilitate voluntary return andreintegration as durable solutions, particularlyby ocusing on the most recent and the mostvulnerable returnees and IDPs.

In 2009 NRCs ocused on access to educationor returnee and IDP children and youth. N RCcelebrated 10 years o running the TeachersEmergency Package (TEP) an accelerated

learning programme or children, which has providedaccess to education and protection to 82 000out-o-school children with a special emphasison promoting education or girls.

NRC also ran Youth Education Pack (YEP)projects in 2009, providing displaced youth withvocational and lie skills.

In 2009 the shelter programme ocused onbuilding houses and schools or returnees.

Access to land and tenure is one o the biggestchallenges acing returnees Burundi being oneo the most densely populated countries inArica. The NRC Inormation Counselling andLegal Assistance (ICLA) programme assistedreturnees in resolving land disputes. The ICLAprogramme also ocused on awareness campaignsregarding amily law, asylum law and sexual genderbased violence, and monitored the reintegrationo reugees orced to return rom Tanzania.

Throughout 2009 NRCs advocacy work inBurundi has ocused on reintegration challengesand durable solutions or IDPs towards theGovernment as well as UNHCR.

The camp management programme continuedin 2009, in close cooperation with UNHCR.NRC currently manages the ollowing camps;

Gasorwe, Musasa and Bwagiriza. The campshave approximately 20,000 Congolese reugees,who are most likely to remain in Burundi in theyears to come, due to the unstable situation inDRC. In September 2009, the Gihinga camp inMwaro was closed down. The camp populationwas moved to the newly opened Bwagiriza camp.NRC is preparing to exit rom Burundi at the endo 2011, i the elections go well.

BURUNDI

Latest IDP gure: 100,000 (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 99,103Reugees rom other countries: 31,305Population:8.3 million

The armed conlict has been resolved, and NRC iscurrently ocusing on durable solutions or the internallydisplaced and returnees.

BURUNDI:Children attending an NRC TEP-school in Bigera in the south o Burundi.

BURUNDI

SOMALIA

KENYA

UGANDA

RWANDA

ETHIOPIA

TANZANIA

L

ZAMBIA

MALAWI

DR CONGO

I

AFRICA

Foto:EricBtonon/NRC

AFRICA


22/43


Internal armed conict between governmentorces and various armed groups in northern CARdisplaced 200,000 people by 2007. Followingpeace agreements, the number ell to 108,000

by February 2009. However, clashes between thearmy and a splinter rebel group and attacksagainst civilians by criminal gangs increased thenumber o IDPs to 162,000 by the end o theyear mostly in areas where NRC did not haveprogramme activities.

NRC has been present in North-West CARsince 2007, with a country ofce in Bangui anda feld ofce in Batangao.

The main ocus has been ensuring access toprimary education or IDP and returnee childrenin the triangle covering Batangao, Moyenne Sidoand Ouandago. The education needs in theseareas did not match NRCs traditional educationprogramme components (Accelerated LearningProgrammes, Teachers Emergency Package orYouth Education Packs). Instead N RC has beenworking within the ormal, national school system,

assisting the authorities in re-establishing schoolsclosed down in the wake o conict. NRC helpedtrack down and enrol children in school andprovided operational support, by training teachers,supplying school material and school meals.

The programme activities also benefted localchildren to a substantial degree. The result is thatschool enrolment in NRCs programme area hasincreased dramatically. The number o successullypassed fnal exams over the last two school yearsincreased rom 37% in 2007 to 82% in 2009.

In 2009, NRC constructed three new school

NIGERIA

SUDAN

SOMALIA

KENYA

UGANDA

DR CONGO

RWANDA

I

CAMEROON

ERITREA

DJIBOUTI

GABON

CONGO

CHAD

NIGER

BENIN

TOGO

ETHIOPIA

Bangui

CENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC

buildings and rehabilitated three existing schools.The ofcial handover to the local school authoritiestook place by end November.

There are several reasons or NRCs decision

to discontinue its country programme in CAR.It has been increasingly difcult to reach thetraditional NRC target groups in the CARcontext i.e., IDPs and returnees. Another is theacknowledgement that rather than supportingand strengthening the existing ormal educationsystem, the NRC education project has replacedthe authorities in their responsibility o providingprimary education. This clearly illustrates the needor a stronger ocus on development assistance.Furthermore, lack o unding has not only madethe required shit in activities impossible, it hasmade it difcult to sustain a sound programmebeyond 2009.

The programme, in its present design, needsto be continued by an organisation with a strongerdevelopment approach, which can make a morelong term commitment than NRC is in a position

to do hopeully leading to the government takingover one day. NRC was pleased to be able to handover all activities to the Danish Reugee Council.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR)

Latest IDP gure: 162,000 (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 160,424Reugees rom other countries: 28,266Population:4.4 million

At the end o 2009, NRC discontinued its activitiesin the Central Arican Republic (CAR).

CAR, 2009:Children attendingan NRC supported school..

Several hundred thousand people were internallydisplaced (IDPs) in Cte dIvoire by the internalarmed conict, which broke out in 2002, and by

local community conicts. Estimates only coverpeople displaced in the south o the country, andnot in the centre and north, which were under thecontrol o the rebel group Forces Nouvelles.Although the fghting has ended, the situation inCte dIvoire continues to be tense. Presidentialelections set or November 2009 have beenpostponed to an unknown date in 2010, withongoing political dispute concerning registrationo voters and who should be entitled to vote.

NRC has worked in Cte dIvoire since 2006,operating rom a country ofce in Abidjan andtwo feld ofces in Dukou (West MoyenneCavalli and 18 Montagnes) and one in Bouak(Centre). Programme activities have beenexpanded and now also cover the regions oWorodougou, Haut-Sassandra (both situated inthe West) as well as rural areas around Bouak.

Core activities include education, shelter (schoolconstruction), ood security and Inormation,Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA).

The ICLA programme has ocused on assistingpeople aected by displacement in obtainingidentity documents and inorming them on issuessuch as civil status and civil rights. In 2009, theprogramme targeted 9,000 benefciaries. Theprogramme will expand its intervention in theWest to land and property issues in 2010.

NRCs Internal Displacement MonitoringCentre (IDMC) launced a background study on

land issues in Abidjan in November 2009, titledWhose landis this?. The report highlighted thechallenges related to existing land laws and the

eects that its application will have on I DPs.NRC is advocating or the implementation osome o the recommendations in the report.

The education programme is closely colla-borating with the ICLA programme by assistingschool children in accessing birth certifcates,which are essential to sign up or fnal exams atormal schools. Catch-up classes, helping childrenand adolescents to integrate into local schools,continued in 2009, targeting a total o 8,150children in the West and Centre North. A communityschool programme targets children living in remoteareas, without access to the ormal educationsystem. NRC is advocating the government tointegrate community schools into the ormal schoolsystem.

The general trend in Cte dIvoire is a shit romhumanitarian interventions to transitional and/or

development support the next two to three years.The repeated postponement o the elections hasaected the willingness o donors to continue toprovide support. Large donors such as the WorldBank have indicated that continued unding willdepend on progress towards elections. I electionsare postponed beyond 2010 it may result ingrowing discontent among the Ivorian populationand possibly a destabilisation o the politicalsituation.

CTE DIVOIRE

Latest IDP gure: Undetermined (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 28,430 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 24,826 (UNHCR)Population:21 million

The shit rom humanitarian to development supporthas been delayed by the continuous postponement othe presidential elections.

CTE DIVOIRE:An internallydisplaced Mozo woman and herchild in a camp in Bouake

IVORYCOAST

SENEGAL

BURKINAFASO

BENIN

TOGOGHANA

NIGERIA

GUINEA BISSAU

GUINEA

SIERRA LEONE

LIBERIA

THE GAMBIA

NIGER

MALI

MAURITANIA

I L-I

Abidjan

AFRICA

Photo:NRCTEaM

Photo:ThomsQviller/NRC

L I

LI I I

AFRICA


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Since the mid-1990s, millions o Congolese haveed their homes to escape fghting betweenvarious rebel groups and the government, in acomplex conict involving neighbouring states.In January 2009 the leader o the rebel groupNational Congress or the Deence o the People(CDNP), Laurent Nkunda, was removed andRwandan armed orces were allowed by thegovernment o DRC to cross the Congolese

border to intervene against the rebel group FDLR(remnants o the 1994 Hutus responsible or thegenocide in Rwanda). This was done with thesupport o the Armed Forces o the DemocraticRepublic o Congo (FARDC) and the joint militaryoperation was named Umoja Wetu. Following thewithdrawal o Rwandan troops at the end oFebruary 2009, a new joint military operationnamed Kimia II was soon to ollow. This time withthe support o the UNs military orce MONUC.It was also extended rom the province o NorthKivu to include South Kivu.

However, the FARDCs military oensiveagainst the FDLR, lead to large displacemento the local population. In total 1.9 million peoplewere internally displaced (IDPs) in DRC atthe end o 2009. Many IDPs did not receiveassistance, as access or humanitarian NGOswere blocked in many areas by insecurity. Tenso thousands o IDPs sought shelter in campsand spontaneous settlements, as the residentpopulations capacity to host them had declined.NRC also had to adapt to a new environment osimultaneous return to relative sae areas andnew displacement due to armed conict.

NRC has been present in DRC since 2001,addressing the needs through all o NRCs fvecore activities. NRC operates rom a country

ofce in Goma, with our feld ofces in Northand South Kivu, and a liaison ofce in Kinshasa.The feld ofce in Moba in Katanga was phasedout in August 2009.

Throughout 2009 NRC provided teachertraining and basic education or IDP and returneechildren, and basic education and practical skillstraining to youth, who due to war and displace-ment had not had access to education. This was

done through the Teachers Emergency Package(TEP) and Youth Education Pack (YEP). NRCalso managed nine camps (fve in Goma and ourin Masisi), ensuring protection and access tobasic services to about 85,000. However, inSeptember our camps outside Goma wereclosed down by the authorities. During this periodNRC had an active role in advocating or ensur-ing a voluntary return or camp residents. NRC iscontinuously advocating or reinorced protectionmeasures in camps and in return areas. TheInormation, Counselling and Legal Assistance(ICLA) programme ocused on housing, land andproperty issues aced by IDPs and returnees, aswell as protection monitoring.

NRC also distributed ood, non-ood items andschool kits to displaced people and returneesthrough its emergency ood security and distribu-tion programme. NRCs shelter programme had astrong ocus on building permanent and semi-permanent classrooms in return areas, as well astemporary classrooms or NRCs emergencyeducation project or displaced children.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OFTHE CONGO (DRC)

Latest IDP gure: 1.9 million (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 486,978(UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 186,452(UNHCR)

Population:66 million

DRC, OCTOBER 2009:Sexual assaults onwomen IDPs have increased in DRC. Judith

(29) was raped by men in uniorm whilecollecting rewood outside the Mugangna 3

IDP camp outside Goma. The daughterstrapped to her back is a result o the rape.

More than one million people were newly displaced byrenewed ighting in DRC in 2009, causing a massiveincrease in humanitarian needs.

DR CONGOKinshasa

LI

LI

UGANDA

RWANDA

TANZANIA

ABON

CONGO

I I

BURUNDI

ANGOLAZAMBIA

L I

Ater the collapse o the Somali State in1991, Somalia has remained without a centralgovernment and suered intense actionalfghting and civil war. 2009 started on anoptimistic note. Ethiopian orces withdrew romSomalia and a new president was elected atUN sponsored peace talks in Djibouti. Between

January and April an estimated 70,000 peoplereturned to their homes in Mogadishu. However,in May ferce fghting erupted, causing a renewedexodus rom Mogadishu and other towns. Therenewed conict led to new displacement andthe urther worsening o the already gravehumanitarian situation across south and centralSomalia severely restricting access to peoplein need.

NRC has been present in Somalia since2004. The country ofce is in Nairobi, Kenya,with feld ofces in Hargeisa in Somaliland,Bosasso in Puntland, Mogadishu in South Centraland Dadaab in Kenya. Being present in ourkey areas in Somalia and Kenya enables NRC torespond quickly to changes in the humanitariansituation.

Programme activities in Somalia in 2009included building and rehabilitating schools,providing temporary shelters, improving sanitaryconditions and distributing non-ood items tointernally displaced people in South CentralSomalia, Puntland and Somaliland. An additionaland important core activity in Somalia is providingaccess to education.

In January 2009, NRC set up a new schoolproject in Mogadishu, a city where less than10 percent o children enrol in school. 400

internally displaced (IDP) children were enrolledin 11 NRC learning centres at the end o theyear. The goal is 3,000.

In Somaliland NRC runs our youth education(YEP) centres, teaching adolescents who havenever attended school, reading and writing, lieand vocational skills as well introducing them

to human rights, social and health studies. Thelearners and instructors were selected romwithin both displaced and host communities.

NRC is also providing reading and writinglessons or adults and Alternative Basic Educationor children who have not had access toeducation in Somaliland and Puntland. NRCis actively targeting girls, and at least hal othose enrolled in NRC learning centres areemale.

As a response to the massive outow oSomalis to Kenya, NRC is operating in the Dadaabreugee camps, where at the end o 2009 over260,000 reugees reside. More than 62,000 newarrivals were registered in 2009, but most o theresidents have been living in the camps or over18 years. Programme activities include buildingshelters, latrines and classrooms, and distributingnon-ood items and were signifcantly expandeddue two the high number o new arrivals. NRCalso runs three youth education (YEP) centresinside the camps and one in the host community.In 2009 NRC obtained partnerships with ofcialKenyan educational institutions to administerexaminations o youth enrolled in the YEP-centres. Adult reugees work as teachers andinstructors.

Programme activities in Somalia and Kenya increasedin 2009, in response to intensiied ighting and newdisplacement in Somalia.

SOMALIA:Latest IDP gure: 1.5 million (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 699,393 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 26,483(UNHCR)Population:9.1 million

KENYA:Latest IDP gure: Undetermined (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 12,599 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 377,866

(UNHCR)Population:39.8 million

SOMALIA AND KENYA

SOMALIA, FEBRUARY 2010:The NRCschool project in Hagreisa.

SOMALIAMogadishu

I I

SUDAN

L ILI

UGANDADR CONGO

RWANDA

BURUNDI TANZANIA

I LI

ETHIOPIA

DJIBOUTI

KENYA

ERITREAI

AFRICA


Photo:ErikTresse/NRC

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Yet challenges remain enormous and the countryaces some o the worst socioeconomic condi-tions in the world, Liberia is still recovering roma devastating 14-year conict. The civil warclaimed over 200,000 lives, completely destroyedLiberias inrastructure, and displaced more thanone million people. The government declared theIDP return process to be completed in 2006.However, challenges remain, including highunemployment particularly among youngpeople and ex-combatants drug trafcking andood insecurity. A UN Security Council missionin May 2009 highlighted the need or progressin developing Liberias security institutions.

NRC has worked in Liberia since 2003. Coreactivities in 2009 included education, Inormation,Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), oodsecurity and a pilot project on Sexual and GenderBased Violence.

Access to and control o land was key to theconict, and is still a actor. An increasing numbero land dispute cases were reported in 200 9,particularly in the countries bordering Guinea inthe northeast, but also in other areas aected bylarge numbers o returnees. In 2009, NRCs ICLAteam was an active participant in the land sector.The programme assists returnees in resolvingland disputes and securing land tenure throughacilitated negotiations with local authorities and

communities.Supporting the Governments eorts to meet

the education needs o IDPs and returnees hasbeen a priority or NRC. In 2009, the educationprogramme acilitated access to education orover-aged children through both the AcceleratedLearning Programme (ALP) and the Youth Education

Pack (YEP). The YEP programmme currentlyoperates at fve dierent locations in threecounties. NRC hopes to expand the numbero YEP centres in 2010. NRC enrolled thefnal group o ALP learners in 2009. They willcomplete their training as NRC will phase outthis programme in July 2010.

During the conict, rape o women and childrenwas so pervasive that the UN described it as aweapon o war. Sexual assault o women andgirls is still happening. Medicins Sans Frontiersrecorded an average o 960 reported rape casesmonthly in Montserrado alone in 2009. NRCestablished a pilot project in 2009 to prevent andrespond to sexual and gender based violence,ocusing particularly on access to justice orsurvivors. The project aims to strengthen theorganisational and technical capacity o thegovernment and community structures to delivercoordinated prevention and legal responses.

LIBERIA

Latest IDP gure: Undetermined (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 73,802 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 7,487 (UNHCR)Population:4 million

LIBERIA:A girl attending anNRC educational programme in Bah.

In 2009 the security situation in Liberia has continuedto improve.

Monrovia

LIBERIA

SENEGAL

BURKINAFASO

BENIN

TOGO

GHANA LL

GUINEA BISSAU

SIERRA LEONE CTEDIVOIRE

THE GAMBIA

MAURITANIA

MALI

The shit is partly attributed to the ousting ointernational NGOs rom Sudan, ollowing the arrestwarrant or President Omar al-Bashir issued byThe International Criminal Court in The Hague oncharges o war crimes and crimes against humanityin Darur. The deteriorating humanitarian situationin the South also contributed.

Two decades o North-South conict, theDarur conict which began in 2004 and increasinginter-tribal violence in South Sudan has generatedthe largest internally displaced (IDP) population inthe world more than 6 million at its height. 4.9million are still displaced.

Since the signing o the Comprehensive PeaceAgreement (CPA) in 2005, approximately 1.7 millionpeople have returned to the South. Inter-tribalviolence increased in the South in 2009, killingabout 2,500 and displacing more than 390,000new people twice as many as the year beore,and surpassing displacement in Darur or the frsttime since the signing o the CPA.

NRC has worked in Sudan since 2004. Initially

also covering the North, NRC was orced to shutdown all operations in Southern Kordoan andKhartoum in early 2009. As a result NRCs activitiesin Sudan were halved. The Inormation, Counsellingand Legal Assistance (ICLA) projects in Khartoumand school construction in Southern Kordoan werediscontinued, while the 11 NRC youth educationcenters in Southern Kordoan were taken overby Norwegian Church Aid. The country ofce wasmoved rom Khartoum to Juba. The renewedsouthern ocus is concentrated on three coreactivities: Education, school construction and

Inormation, Counselling and Legal Assistance(ICLA).

In the wake o draught and violence, a situationo major ood insecurity developed in 2009,contributing to the increase in inter-ethnic violencein the South. NRC plans to start a ood securityprogramme in 2010.

All NRC activities in South Sudan are linked tothe ongoing return process. NRC has programmesin Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Central Equatoriaand Warrap, with feld ofces in Aweil and Yei inaddition to the country ofce in Juba.

The ICLA programme in Southern Sudanlargely dealt with land and property rights in 2009,particularly in an urban setting where a majorityo returnees settle. ICLA worked closely withthe NRC ofce in Uganda West Nile, assistingSudanese reugees.

NRCs educational programmes in South Sudanincluded Accelerated Learning Programmes,targeting children who have had their educationdisrupted. NRC plans to establish Youth Education

Packs in the South in 2010, providing basicvocational, literacy and lie skills. In addition NRCcontinued to construct schools through 2009.

NRC intends to expand its programmeportolio in South Sudan signifcantly in 2010 geographically and in terms o core activities.Sudan continues to move towards peace, butmassive challenges remain and the situation isvolatile. While hoping or the best, NRC is alsopreparing or potential new displacement andworsening o the humanitarian crisis in 2010.

SUDAN

Latest IDP gure: 4.9 million (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 385,117 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 192,233 (UNHCR)Population:42.3 million

The ocus o NRC activities in Sudan shited to theSouth in 2009.

SUDANKhartoum

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CENTRAL

AFRICAN

REPUBLIC

SOMALIA

ETHIOPIA

DJIBOUTI

CHAD

ERITREA

I

LIBYA

EGYPTSUDAN, MARCH 2010:Teachertraining in Aweil.

AFRICA

Photo:SiriElverlnd/NRC

Photo:ToveK.Breistein

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The spiralling political, social and economic crisis,which has enguled Zimbabwe or a decade, hasresulted in a complex humanitarian emergencywith a wide range o protection and humanitarianneeds. A new coalition government including theopposition took ofce in February 2009. Thepower-sharing deal raised hopes or development.Despite the political changes positively inuencingsocio-economic conditions, the humanitariansituation remained ragile.

NRCs planned operation in Zimbabwe willocus on the plight o internally displaced persons(IDPs) among the worst aected by the crisisand the most vulnerable group.

During the last decade an estimated 570,000to one million people have been internally displaced.The most recent wave o displacement came as a

result o the state-sponsored violence beore andater the March 2008 elections. In 2005, slumeradication in major cities (Operation Clear theflth), let hal a million people homeless anddisplaced. In addition, hundreds o thousandso arm workers and their amilies have beendisplaced since 2000, as a result o land reormand resettlement programmes.

Zimbabwe does not have the typical signs oa large displacement crisis, such as camps or

IDPs. Displacement is largely a hidden issue. Theprevious government consistently reused toacknowledge both the reality o displacement,and that its policies were causing it.

Loss o livelihood and destruction o propertyhas been widespread among the displaced.

Food insecurity and ood aid dependencyremained a concern in Zimbabwe in 2009.Food security is predicted to remain ragile inthe coming years.

Over the past decade, millions o children inZimbabwe have had their education disrupted.School attendance dropped to 20 % in 2008,rom 82% in 2004. Restoration o education is acritical actor in consolidating peace and stability.

Forced displacement has also resulted in theloss o civil documents such as birth certifcates,

identity cards, marriage certifcates and passports,undermining the IDPs access to essential services.By the end o 2009, NRC was still in the

process o establishing operations in Zimbabwe.There were a number o delays in the registrationprocess that was initiated in October 2008. NRCexpects ofcial registration to be completed bythe frst hal o 2010. Operations will commenceimmediately.

NRC plans to establish programmes providingood security, livelihood strategies and access toeducation, as well as assistance with obtainingidentity documents and other protection needs.

ZIMBABWE

Latest IDP gure: 570,000 1 million (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 23,853 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 4,630 (UNHCR)Population:12.5 million

NAMIBIA

ZAMBIA

DR KONGO

TANZANIA

MOSAMBIK

MALAWI

BOTSWANA

ANGOLA

Harare

ZIMBABWE

In 2009 NRC applied or permission to establishprogramme activities in Zimbabwe.

In Northern Uganda, up to 2 million people havebeen displaced by more than two decades obrutal conict between the rebel group LordsResistance Army (LRA) and the government. In2006 the parties agreed to a ceasefre, but a fnalpeace agreement has yet to be signed. The LRAhave, however, been eectively driven back andsome 70 to 80 % o the 1.8 million IDPs wholived in camps at the height o the crisis have

returned to their areas o origin to transit sitesor permanent homes.

710,000 people were still displaced in theAcholi region in February 2009. By the end o theyear the fgure dropped to 437,000, who still livein camps and transit sites.

NRC has been present in Uganda since 1997,with a country ofce in Gulu and feld ofces inKitgum, Pader and Arua districts engaging inall fve core activities. In 2009 NRC commencedfeld operations in south-western Uganda andphased out operations in West Nile towards theend o the year.

The IDPs still living in camps in 2009 weredivided into two groups: Those who have estab-lished livelihood within the semi urban setting othe camps and wants to remain, and those who

are particularly vulnerable and thus not able toreturn or rebuild their lives.NRC has ocused on the latter group in 2009,

assisting them in fnding durable solutions andbuilding shelters, in or around the camps, intransit sites or in return areas.

During the year, Ugandan authorities signaleda wish to close the camps. In 2009, the Inormation,Councelling and Legal Assistance programme(ICLA) ocused on securing that establishedprocedures are ollowed when landownersreclaim camp land and that IDPs are not evicted

unlawully or without access to durable solutions.The ICLA West Nile Project continued to

work in Sudan to assists Sudanese reugees inWest Nile by preparing or their return beorephasing out the operations towards the end othe year.

Since 1997 NRC has distributed ood toIDPs in the north. In 2006, NRC also commenceda ood security programme. In 2009, distribution

was signifcantly reduced as ood was onlydistributed to the most vulnerable, and the yearmarked a defnitive shit towards enhancing oodproduction capacity and sel-reliance.

NRC has made an agreement with localauthorities to adjust the Youth Education Pack(YEP) centers so that they can gradually behanded over and turned into ull-scale polytechnicschools, in line with national requirements. Inaddition, two o the ten NRC YEP-projects,oering vocational and lie skills to war-aectedyouth in the north, were handed over to localchurch communities.

The NRC shelter programme in Uganda hasor years ocused on re-establishing schoolsin return areas. In 2009 NRC has ocused onbuilding teacher housing.

As the humanitarian phase gives way torecovery and development, donors have movedon. For 20 years NGOs have provided basicservices in the north. The UN and donors haveailed to secure transitional planning and localauthorities are not yet able to supply all servicesprovided by the NGOs. As one o the ew remainingNGOs in Acholi in 2009, NRC has activelyadvocated the need or international recoveryassistance in the north, to bridge the gap betweenhumanitarian assistance and development.

UGANDA

Latest IDP gure: At least 437,000 (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 8,463 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 138,896(UNHCR)Population:32.7 million

A substantial number o internally displaced persons(IDPs) returned to their areas o origin in 2009, but themost vulnerable remained in camps.

UGANDAKampala

I I

SUDAN

CENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC

ETHIOPIA

SOMALIA

KENYA

DR CONGORWANDA

TANZANIA

CHADDJIBOUTI

BURUNDI


AFRICA

ZIMBABWE, MARCH 2009: A woman administers a sugar solution to her child sueringrom cholera at Budiriro Polyclinic. The cholera epidemic has contributed tothe collapse o the health care system in Zimbabwe.

UGANDA 2009:Eight-year old Linda (to theright) on her way to school with a riend.

Aided by NRC, Linda, her mother andsiblings have been able to return to theirvillage. NRC has built a new house or theamily, as well as class rooms in Lindasschool.

Photo:PhilimonBu

lwye/Reuters/alertnet

Photo:RoldHvring/NRC

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In 2009, the Governments military oensivesagainst insurgents mainly in the North WestFrontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally

Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) caused massivedisplacement. In early July, there were between2.7 and 3.5 million internally displaced persons(IDPs) in the NWFP alone.

NRC has since 2001 had programme activitiesin Pakistan targeting Aghan reugees and victimso the 2005 earthquake. The programmes wererun rom the regional ofce in Aghanistan. In2009, NRC established a dedicated countryofce in Peshawar in Pakistan, to enhance theassistance to people displaced by the militaryoensives.

NRC responded to the current IDP crisis withan innovative shelter construction: A shade nettingstructure was developed to cover tents, providing

women and children residing in the tents duringdaytime with much needed relie rom the swel-tering heat. The shade netting benefted 15,000people in two IDP camps in the Mardan district.

NRC also distributed winter necessities toabout 12,000 IDP amilies living in communitiesin Mardan district and provided education materialsto returnees in Buner.

The military oensive in South Waziristancreated another wave o 300,000 to 400,000IPDs that mainly arrived in D.I. Khan and Tank.International NGOs were barred rom accessingthis area, but NRC was able to distribute winternecessities through its local implementing partner,benefting about 21,000 individuals.

In 2009, NRCs continued to assist Aghanreugees in Pakistan with limited access to basicservices. The Inormation, Counselling and Legal

Assistance team provided legal assistance toreugees planning to return to their country,where they ace lack o documentation on propertyownership, repossession and restoration. NRCalso provided legal assistance to IDPs registeredwith the government.

PAKISTAN

Latest IDP gure: 1,230,000 (IDMC)Reugees in other countries: 39,888 (UNHCR)Reugees rom other countries: 1,743,141 (U NHCR)Population:180.8 million

PAKISTAN, 2 JUL I 2009:The green shadenetting defects the sun and makes the tentsin the Sheik Yassen camp more inhabitablein the relentless sun.

The ongoing wave o displacement in Pakistan isthe single largest population movement recorded inthe country since it was created in 1947.

Islamabad

PAKISTAN

INDIA

AFGHANISTAN

BANGLADESH

NEPALBHUTAN

MYANMAROMAN

UNITED ARAB

EMIRATES

CHINA

USBEKISTAN

TURKMENISTAN

IRANIRAK

SYRIA

LEBANON

TURKEY

JORDANISRAEL

SAUDI-ARABIA

TAJIKISTAN

I

Kabul

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN

TERRITORY

Ater three decades during which conict and naturaldisaster combined to orce three out o our Aghansto leave their homes at some point, internal displace-ment increased again in 2009 ollowing the intensif-cation o armed conict in many parts o the country.

The insecurity represents the greatest threat tohumanitarian action in Aghanistan. Several humani-tarian organisations have minimized their expatriatepresence in 2009.

The total number o internally displaced persons(IDPs) is unknown and the prospect o fndingdurable solutions are bleak. Many reugees returnedin 2009, only to become internally displaced.

NRC has been present in Aghanistan since2002, with a country ofce in Kabul and feldofces in Herat, Bamyan, Jalalabad, Maymana, SariPul, Mazar-i-Shari and Kunduz.

NRC aced major security obstacles in 2009and had to pull out o several operational areas. Tobe able to continue to assist IDPs in these areas,the NRC had to change the way the organisationworks. Cash grants were or instance distributed

through centralized ofces, not on a local level, andNRC increasingly depended on national sta.NRC runs a comprehensive shelter programme

in Aghanistan, targeting returnee amilies and thevulnerable host population in the provinces oHerat, Jalalabad, Kabul and Sari Pul.

In, 2009, NRC helped set up a major emergencyshelter project in Sari Pur, providing winter prootents to returning reugees rom Iran who weresettled in a transit camp. The NRC also ocusedits attention on providing urban shelters to theincreasing numbers o IDPs and returnees settlingin Kabul.

Through seven Inormation, Counselling andLegal Assistance (ICLA) centres across Aghanistan,NRC promotes access to land and property andadvices returnees on their rights. In 2009, NRCestablished a pilot project in Herat assisting emale

survivors o gender-based violence in legal matterssuch as divorce and inheritance disputes. Theproject was expanded to Jalalabad later in theyear, and is due to expand urther in 2010. TheNRC capacity-building team also trained ormaland inormal justice ofcials a