livelihoods — Publications

IIED : Policy Brief - Inclusive urban solutions: city actors engaging with displaced communities

April 2024

Most of the world’s displaced people live in cities, yet there is little evidence on how to build lasting partnerships with city governments to support urban displaced communities.

Our co-founder Nassim Majidi along with Samer Saliba, Helen Elizabeth Yu authored this policy brief for The Protracted Displacement in an Urban World (PDUW) project. Exploring participatory planning and decision-making processes, bringing together city governments and representatives of displaced communities in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Jordan and Kenya. Four cities benefitted from increased dialogue on the needs of displaced people. Yet, it remains difficult to translate this awareness into sustained city-led coordination without filling city resourcing gaps.

This briefing presents the key lessons learned from the project to inform city-led, multi-stakeholder responses to urban displacement.

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Samuel HallApril 16, 2024Afghanistan, displaced persons, WELLBEING, livelihoods, ethiopia, jordan, kenya, IIED, Policy Brief

IIED: Afghanistan's unfolding crisis; Wellbeing and livelihoods of displaced people before and after the regime change

February 2024

The Protracted Displacement in an Urban World project in Afghanistan aimed to understand the lives of displaced individuals in camp-like and urban settings. Initial data collection occurred before the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, with a follow-up one year afterwards to assess changes in livelihoods and wellbeing. The project, centred in Jalalabad city and Barikab settlement, evaluated five wellbeing dimensions. Key findings highlighted a significant economic downturn post-regime change, leading to increased hours worked for both men and women, more child labour, yet decreasing household incomes. Economic strain impacted health access, food security, and psychosocial wellbeing, notably worsening for women and urban displaced populations. The project calls for immediate humanitarian aid and targeted economic assistance, and emphasises the importance of gender inclusivity, community participation and a Humanitarian-Development Nexus approach for sustainable solutions.

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Samuel HallFebruary 26, 2024Afghanistan, displaced persons, WELLBEING, livelihoods

The Halo Trust - The Link: Connecting Mine Action and Livelihoods

June 2020

As mine action stakeholders work towards a mine-free Afghanistan in a country experiencing active conflict and pervasive economic difficulties, there are growing imperatives to link clearance of mines from the land, with the livelihoods and development of people and communities on that land afterwards.Samuel Hall conducted an evaluation of the programme for the HALO Trust as the programme concluded, reviewing literature and conducting primary data collection and analysis from November 2019 to March 2020. The research emphasised a community-based mixed methods approach to evaluate the programme from beneficiaries’ perspectives, and placed community members’ feedback at the centre of the evaluation.

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ODI - Journeys on Hold

March 2017

Samuel Hall supported ODI in the development of this working paper that sets out to better understand whether, by providing alternative options, it is possible for policy-makers to prevent or reduce irregular migration from countries- and regions-of-origin. It looks at two measures in particular: in-country livelihood support, such as vocational trainings and loans, and refugee resettlement programming. Findings draw on qualitative interviews with Eritreans in both the northern province of Tigray as well as the country’s capital, Addis Ababa.

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DRC/UDI - Returns to Somalia: Setting Protection and Livelihood Standards

September 2016

Returns to (post-)conflict and fragile settings, from Afghanistan to Somalia, are increasing. The literature is clear on the return challenges to such contexts, and the diverse array of expectations of (re-)integration that differ depending on age, gender, timing and duration of exile, and conditions in exile. What this report measures is therefore not the impact of a program, as the overall context includes this complex backdrop of hopes and dreams, caught by reality and ultimately, by unplanned outcomes.

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NRC - Thinking Forward About Livelihoods for Refugees in Ethiopia

August 2016

This study was commissioned by NRC Ethiopia to document lessons learned as well as to provide a strategic framework to inform NRC’s positioning on integrated programming. It examines the role of NRC in the provision of refugee livelihoods and education.

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IOM - Assessment of Economic Opportunities Along the Afghan-Tajik Border

March 2016

The purpose of this assignment was to identify the needs and the economic potential in border communities on both sides, and point out initiatives with the potential to be scaled up to the benefit of local residents. The research questions addressed the potential of cross-border markets and possible synergies in cross-border labour market supply and demand. It considered existing initiatives with an eye to avoiding duplication of efforts.

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IOM - Investing in Somali Youth in Somaliland and Puntland

August 2015

This research is the first comprehensive study of Somaliland and Puntland’s youth migration and its linkages to employment. The research maps economic drivers of migration, youth livelihood opportunities, and interventions to support youth and local markets – unlocking solutions for youth employment in Somaliland and Puntland inclusive of the public and private sectors.

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DACAAR - Agency and Choice Among the Displaced

July 2015

The focus of this study was on the decision-making process behind refugee returnees’ and IDPs’ choices of destination. More specifically this research identifies factors that influence whether a returnee/IDP individual, family or community chooses to move to an urban or a rural location.

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OCHA - September Humanitarian Bulletin

September 2014

In a challenging Afghan environment, Cash Transfer Programmes (CTPs) have proven to be an efficient, safe, and flexible assistance tool that has delivered all or part of a response: i) in emergency or development situations; ii) across a large spectrum of activities (livelihoods, WASH, food security), and iii) in diverse geographic locations (urban and rural communities). To fuel the on-going debate, we listed for OCHA key findings and lessons learned from Samuel Hall’s most recent publications.

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IOM - Evaluating IOM’s Return and Reintegration Activities for Returnees and Other Displaced Populations

August 2014

This evaluation presents key findings from an assessment of IOM’s return and reintegration activities (2008 – 2013) in the provinces of Kabul, Nangarhar, Nimroz and Heart in Afghanistan. These activities included: post-arrival assistance, livelihood assistance and shelter assistance for deported and voluntary returnees and other vulnerable groups.

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IOM - Afghanistan Migration Profile

July 2014

This Migration Profile for Afghanistan is a tool for enhancing policy coherence, evidence-based policymaking and the mainstreaming of migration into development planning. It provides detailed information on the migration patterns in Afghanistan with a focus on circular migration and remittances.

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DRC/WHH - Cash-Based Assistance Programmes for IDPs in the Kabul Informal Settlements

May 2014

Samuel Hall was commissioned to undertake an evaluation of the 2013/2014 winter’s cash interventions through a three-phased approach including a baseline, midline and endline survey of their winter cash assistance activities in the KIS through a field- and evidence-based, quantitative and qualitative research study.

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NRC - Living Out of Camp - Alternative to Camp-Based Assistance for Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia

May 2014

This research is the first study of alternatives to camp-based assistance in Ethiopia for Eritrean refugees, and the first thorough review of Ethiopia’s Out-of-Camp scheme (OCP).

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DRC - AfPak Labour Market Assessment

September 2013

Samuel Hall researchers aimed to assist DRC in planning for its livelihoods programming by answering the following key research question: ‘What are the segments of the Afghan urban labour market with the biggest labour supply gaps and future opportunities for displaced populations?’

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ODI - Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium

October 2011

Over the last decade, the international community has allocated billions of dollars in funding for programming in livelihoods, service provision and social protection; however there has been little accompanying investment in research as a sector or as an internal capacity. Livelihoods remain under researched in Afghanistan.

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WFP - Review of Food-For-Training Campaign

December 2010

World Food Programme (WFP) Afghanistan has planned a systematic analysis of changes – positive or negative, intended or not – in people’s lives as brought about by the Food-For-Training (FFT) activities on livelihoods of participants and their communities. This report was the first comprehensive review of FFT in Afghanistan.

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