Internally Displaced Persons

The IDP working group in Gaza, chaired by OCHA, carried out a re-registration and vulnerability profiling exercise of IDP households in Gaza. The exercise focused on the approximately 18,000 households who had lost their homes during the 2014 conflict, but was also open to people internally displaced for other reasons. Exact information about IDP status, living conditions, locations, vulnerabilities and needs was determined to be a crucial gap by the Gaza ICCG and relevant authorities in May 2015 following which the preparations to start the survey were started. The field implementation of the survey started on 16 August and was concluded by early December, with all households surveyed. Less than 0.02% of households refused to participate or could not be traced.

The IDP re-registration and vulnerability profiling exercise serves two purposes: 1. To have an in-depth analysis of the current living situation and vulnerabilities of those who remain displaced after the 2014 war to identify response gaps, improve and increase responses and to conduct advocacy 2. The exercise will also serve an emergency preparedness function, as the unified IDP registration form to be used in future IDP situations will be tested as well as the cooperation mechanisms for registration in future emergencies

Partners in the exercises are relevant line ministries (MoSA and MoPWH), municipalities, UNRWA, the PRCS, the cluster system, and national and international NGOs, as well community-based organizations and IDPs themselves. The IDP working group is using and integrating existing information available in the various databases, namely UNRWA, MOSA, MoPWH and other relevant line ministries. Some 240 field workers were deployed to collect data at the household level and aggregated data will be made available to those participating in the exercise in accordance with relevant data-sharing protocols and with the humanitarian country team. Local coordination strucutres - "hubs" - have been set up at the local level and are intended to be used in future emergencies, as required. The data is used mainly for response purposes, but public documents will be produced for advocacy and information purposes. The exercise also contains an emergency referral mechanism, communications with communities tools, such as SMS platform, hotline, information brochures, referral information, as well as a complaints and feedback mechanism. The field workers have received psychosocial support sessions and trainings in safety and security and referral pathways.

The main achievements of the exercise are:

• The successful field testing of the unified IDP registration form, and acceptance by all parties to use this form in future IDP situations
• The development of an inclusive network of local information collectors and trained staff that can be deployed in future emergencies
• The cooperation of all major actors in the exercise
• A unified database containing detailed information on the current living conditions and needs of all those who lost their homes as a result of the 2014 conflict
• Inclusion of IDP data and needs in the HRP process, ensuring adequate inclusion of IDP needs in the 2016 planning
• Integration of additional, more detailed assessments by other actors in the overall IDP re-registration and vulnerability profiling exercise, assisting more effective response
• Referral of cases for immediate response
• Enhanced communication with communities and accountability to affected populations

A series of follow-up steps for 2016 have been identified, including, wide dissemination of survey findings for response purposes, emergency preparedness activities, continued updating of relevant data components, capacity-building initiatives, continued communications with communities, a lessons learned exercise, as well as advocacy The IDP working group was first established during the 2014 war and includes:

• The Ministry of Social Affairs, municipalities, and other relevant line ministries
• UN agencies, including UNRWA and OCHA, and the cluster system
• The PNGO network, international NGOs and community-based organizations
• PRCS/ICRC