SIRTE RAPID IDP NEEDS ASSESSMENT...Besides security, the primary pull factor is family reunification, at 47% -mostly for IDPs based in Alamra -, access to public services at 36% and

SIRTE RAPID IDP NEEDS ASSESSMENT

OCTOBER 2016

UNHCR / MERCY CORPS Sirte Rapid IDP Needs Assessment: October 2016 | 2

About UNHCR

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14,

1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate

international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose

is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise

the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home

voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. It also has a mandate to help stateless

people.

UNHCR’s involvement in IDP operations dates back to engagement in Sudan in 1972, despite the

fact that its original 1951 mandate makes no explicit reference to IDPs. The principal criteria

governing UNHCR’s involvement with IDPs are set out in Resolution 53/125 (December 1998). This

resolution effectively extended the mandate of the agency in “providing humanitarian assistance and

protection to internally displaced persons … with the consent of the State concerned.” In relation to

IDP situations, UNHCR has made a commitment to act as ‘cluster lead’ in the areas of protection,

camp management and coordination and emergency shelter.

UNHCR was the donor for the October 2016 Sirte Rapid IDP Needs Assessment. through funding

from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO).

45 SW Ankeny Street

Portland, Oregon 97204

888.842.0842

mercycorps.org

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In

disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

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Executive Summary

In the last five years, political instability and ongoing armed conflict in Libya has led to deteriorating living

conditions and reduced access to essential services for a significant part of the country. Over three million

people have been affected by this violence, insecurity, and lack of social services, leading to massive

displacements of people.

While many of Sirte’s inhabitants were displaced by violence

in 2011, most returned immediately after the ceasefire.

In late 2015, Sirte was seized by ISIS. Since then, armed

citizens – together with Libyan Government forces and militias

from Misrata – have fought to re-take control over the city.

The humanitarian community has little information on the

needs of the newly displaced population. This information is

essential for an effective humanitarian response.

To gather this information, Mercy Corps conducted a first-of-

its-kind Rapid Needs Assessment to collect information

directly from IDPs. This assessment aims to provide a quick

snapshot of the current shelter, non-food item (NFI), livelihood,

and protection needs in Sirte.

Key Findings:

57% of families contacted do have security concerns

51% found the condition of their shelter to be too damaged, unsafe, or over-crowded

45% identified blankets and sleeping mats as their primary NFI need

While 94% of IDPs have access to local markets and 70% of IDPs receive an income, only 45% of

those markets are functional and rampant inflation hinders IDPs ability to fulfil basic needs

80% do not have a food stock that lasts more than one week

27% do not have access to enough water

47% do not have access to health services, and for those who have access, the quality if often

lacking

47% do not have access to education services


Contents Methodology 5

Overview 6

Shelter 9

Non-Food Items 10

Livelihoods 12

Food 13

Water 15

Protection 17

Recommendations 23


Methodology In collaboration with UNHCR and Athar (local organization based in Sirte), Mercy Corps identified four

locations with high numbers of IDPs: Alamra, Harawah, Abuhadi and Wadi Javef. According to data from

local municipalities, these locations host 112, 250, 240 and 225 IDP households respectively, or

approximately 5,000 individuals. The Rapid Needs Assessment, which was conducted in three weeks in

September and October 2016 using 20 enumerators, surveyed 404 households to provide a 95% confidence

level for each location.1 The confidence interval was set at 7 to take into consideration the challenging

context in carrying out quantitative studies in countries like Libya, and cluster sampling was adopted using

geographical maps.

Without a recent census, and to avoid skewing the data arbitrarily, the survey collected information from

household decision-makers. Due to the social context, this caused women to be underrepresented.2 In order

to mitigate this, 12 focus group discussions were conducted with 32 women, 32 youth, and 32 elderly.

Additionally, 20 key informants, consisting of local government officials, civil society members, and

community leaders, were also interviewed.

1 The original planned sample size was 395.

2 A total of 363 men and 41 women were interviewed.


Overview On average, households have been displaced twice. Households in Harawah and Wadi Javef were more

likely to have a higher number of displacements than those in Abuhadi and Alamra. As observed from the

below graph, the biggest displacement wave of IDPs occurred at the beginning of 2016 and 93% of them

came from the city of Sirte. Most IDPs were initially drawn to Alamra and Harawah, but later started to look

for alternative areas of relocation due to overcrowding and lack of services. Wadi Javef became a “new”

area of displacement towards the end of 2015.

Overall, 88% of IDPs left their area of origin due to insecurity and 71% chose their new area of displacement

based on safety. This was particularly relevant for IDPs in Harawah and Wadi Javef. Additionally, 47% of

IDPs left due to a lack of health services, 30% because of a lack of public services, and 18% due to eviction.

Besides security, the primary pull factor is

family reunification, at 47% -mostly for

IDPs based in Alamra -, access to public

services at 36% and employment

opportunities at 16%, the last factor

mainly in Harawah and Alamra.

Despite the difficult conditions of

displacement, 28% of IDPs said they do

not plan to leave. Out of the 27% who

said they are planning to leave, 75% plan

to return to their place of origin, while 6%

plan to look for alternative safe spaces in

Libya, namely Tripoli and Tobruk.

In the area of displacement, 61% of IDPs

have not been registered. Only 19% of

the IDPs receive assistance: 12% receive

food, 9% Non-Food Items (NFIs) and 5%

Hygiene and Health Related Assistance,

respectively. IDPs in Abuhadi are the

most vulnerable and do not receive a

great deal of assistance.


Alamra IDPs receive the highest percentage of assistance, 21%, consisting mainly of food.

Across all locations, the primary assistance providers are friends (49%), followed by Aid Organizations

(21%), and the Libyan Government (15% - mostly in Harawah). In Alamra, the Libyan Red Crescent

provides 89% of the total assistance.

Overall, 36% of IDPs identified their primary need as security, 22% health, and 17% food. Food needs are

lower in Alamra due to the assistance provided by the Libyan Red Crescent. Unlike other locations, Alamra

would prefer cash-based interventions, followed by security. In terms of secondary needs, 33% of IDPs

identified health, 17% cash, and 15% education and security, respectively. Alamra showed a lower need for


public services than the surrounding locations, but a higher need for cash and security. Education needs are

particularly high in Abuhadi, as well as Harawah.

The assessment also found that the situation in Abuhadi and Wadi Javef varies amongst IDPs: some are

able to meet their basic needs while others struggle to do so. The government presence is also limited in

these areas, allowing for a more grassroots and local decision making process, where the contribution of

friends and family is higher. In Alamra and Harawah, where there is broader agreement among IDPs on the

severity of the situation, dissatisfaction with local decision makers is higher.

In general, the Rapid Needs Assessment found that although some IDPs have access to various

degrees of food and NFI assistance, most people remain unregistered and unassisted. Among the

minority who are receiving assistance, the primary support system is friends and family. In light of

this, a coordinated humanitarian response is urgently needed.


Shelter Similar to other locations in Libya, most IDPs in Sirte (41%) live in rented accommodations, while 21% live in

empty houses, another 21% live in makeshift shelters/tents (almost exclusively in Harawah and Alamra),

and 15% live with host families. Two-thirds of IDPs (67%) identified shelter as a concern of theirs. When

asked to identify their primary shelter concern, 36% of those IDPs said their shelter was too damaged, 33%

lacked basic household items, and 26% found their accommodation overcrowded. When asked to identify

their secondary shelter concern, 29% said they lacked basic household items and 9% did not have building

materials. Overall, 51% of IDPs found the condition of their shelter to be too damaged, unsafe, or over-

crowded. Although a large number of IDPs can meet their basic shelter conditions, many remain vulnerable

and require assistance.

The assessment found that 22% of IDPs have been previously evicted and 4% have faced land and property

issues other than eviction. Out of those, 59% have not sought a remedy as there is a general lack of belief in

the system. Although infringement of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights only impacts a small number

of IDPs, the recourse mechanisms for these IDPs are limited.


Non-Food Items When asked to identify their primary NFI needs, 45% of IDPs identified blankets and sleeping mats, 16%

said water containers, and 15% said cooking fuel. In terms of secondary NFI needs, 32% of IDPs identified

cooking fuel, 18% said soap, and 17% said blankets and sleeping mats.

In addition to asking IDPs to identify their primary and secondary needs, the survey also assessed the

availability of items in IDPs homes and in the local market. As illustrated by the table below, households

have limited access (below 30%) to plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, construction tools, and solar lamps in

their own homes. Overall, market availability is quite good in Sirte and only plastic sheeting and solar lamps

are unavailable.

In the table below, items available to less than 30% of IDPs are marked in blue. It shows that Harawah has

good stocks, while more pressing needs are found in Abuhadi and Wadi Javef. IDPs in Alamra have a lack

of NFIs, despite their availability in the local market, which can be explained by a general lack of cash.

Services Home

No

Home

Yes

Market

No

Market

Yes

Water Containers 18.07% 81.93% 13.61% 86.39%

Cooking Set 30.45% 69.55% 16.09% 83.91%

Plastic Sheeting 77.23% 22.77% 76.49% 23.51%

Sleeping Mats/Mattresses 28.96% 71.04% 26.49% 73.51%

Mosquito Nets 76.24% 23.76% 68.81% 31.19%

Soap and Hygiene Materials 22.03% 77.97% 8.17% 91.83%

Clothing 25.74% 74.26% 31.44% 68.56%

Shelter Framing Materials

(Nails, Cement, etc)

76.49% 23.51% 65.10% 34.90%

Tools for Building Shelter 81.44% 18.56% 66.58% 33.42%

Fuel (i.e. cooking, heat,

transportation)

52.72% 47.28% 53.71% 46.29%

Solar Lamp 83.17% 16.83% 80.94% 19.06%

Availability of NFIs (%)


Although market availability of NFIs is fairly good, 54% of IDPs brought their NFIs from home. Only 28%

bought their NFIs from the local market, and 16% received them from local community donations.

Additionally, almost all IDPs in Harawah received NFIs from an aid organization, which is consistent with

previous findings on assistance. The utilization of markets for the purpose of purchasing NFIs is the lowest

in Wadi Javef, where the Libyan Red Crescent has been distributing NFIs.

Overall, the most pressing NFI needs identified by Sirte IDPs are blankets and sleeping mats. Although

these can be found within households and in the local market, there are typically not enough for the average

household size of 5.5 people. Cooking fuel is also greatly needed in all locations except Alamra. Further,

water containers are needed in Wadi Javef and soap and hygiene materials in Alamra. Once again, the

latter’s availability in the market, but low prevalence in the home, indicates a shortage of cash and economic

accessibility.


Livelihoods Overall, market accessibility in Sirte is very high with 94% of IDPs reporting access to local markets.

Although local markets are accessible, only 45% of them are functional. In fact, in Alamra specifically, only

5% of markets are functional. Moreover, market inflation exposes IDPs to further vulnerabilities and reduces

their coping abilities. On average, Sirte experienced a 133% inflation rate over the past six months. Harawah

was particularly impacted, with a 180% inflation rate, most likely due to the higher concentration of IDPs.

When it comes to income generation, 70% of Sirte IDPs have an income: 66% of whom receive government

salaries, 21% pensions, and 13% salaries from privates sector employment. The primary source of income

for IDPs is generally from from the public sector, while the secondary source of income tends to come from

the private sector. Consistent with findings on Pull Factors, Alamra shows opportunities for employment:


82% of the IDP population report having an income, out of which 39% get their First Source of Income from

private sector salaries. The high inflation rate and limited market functionality suggests however that IDPs in

Alamra spend their money elsewhere. Of the 30% who do not have an income, 38% use savings, 32% take

loans, and 15% sell their belongings. In the qualitative components of the Rapid Needs Assessment, youth

and women particularly expressed their struggle to obtain gainful employment, which increases their

dependency on other family members. Job opportunities in fishing, hair dressing, electronics, and small

businesses are reportedly available, but IDPs lack the right set of skills.

Food Despite the presence of income and market availability, 80% of IDPs do not have a food stock that lasts

more than one week. Although inflation hampers access to food, Libya’s current liquidity and cash flow crisis

suggest that while people have virtually financial resources in their bank accounts, their access to it, creates

further vulnerabilities.

From the qualitative study, the Rapid Needs Assessment found that the black market is very active in all

locations. Although in some locations, like Harawah, IDPs are using checks to purchase foods, the private

sector’s influence on basic services and the inflation has created several food concerns, as illustrated by the

table below. Overall, 56% of IDPs lack cooking fuel, 52% do not have enough formula for children, 34% do

not have enough food variety, and 27% do not have enough food.


The Rapid Needs Assessment identified the lack of resources to purchase food as the primary hurdle to

food security. Approximately 86% of IDPs in Alamra and 75% in Wadi Javef and Harawah, respectively,

struggle to find the resources to feed themselves.


Water The assessment found that 27% of IDPs in Sirte do not have access to sufficient water. Out of these, 75%

live in Wadi Javef. The survey also found that, overall, 48% of the water infrastructure is not working,

illustrating that access to water could be reestablished if proper maintenance and repairs were to take place.

Harawah is particularly impacted by the poor infrastructure. Key informant interviews found that Harawah

community leaders are not only looking to respond to humanitarian needs, but also to address more long-

term challenges to public service delivery.

The assessment also found that 53% of people do not boil their water before consumption. Out of the 47%

that do, 56% live in Harawah and 25% in Wadi Javef, indicating a higher WASH awareness amongst the

population in these two locations.


The primary sources of water for IDPs in Sirte are bottled water (54%) and piped water (22%). Abuhadi,

which has access to wells and has the lowest consumption of bottled water, can provide enough water to

74% of its IDPs despite the fact that less than 50% of its water infrastructure is currently functional.

Interestingly, although 55% of Alamra’s and Wadi Javef’s water infrastructure is functional, their bottled

water consumption is high. In Harawah, 27% of the water supply comes from boreholes and pumps, the

highest in the area.

Although 70% of IDPs have an income and 73% have access to sufficient water, 80% of IDPs have

no food stock and 76% do not have enough resources to achieve food security. Areas that are

particularly vulnerable are Wadi Javef (water and food), Alamra (lack of physical cash), and Harawah

(shelter and inflation).


Protection The assessment found that overall, 57% of IDPs have security concerns. Of those, 38% identified fights

between different community groups as their primary security concern, while 32% identified unexploded

ordnances (UXOs). When asked to identify an additional security concern, 27% of IDPs identified criminal

acts and 23% said UXOs.

Overall, 58% of IDPs are aware of UXOs near their work and/or housing locations, with Abuhadi and Wadi

Javef reporting the highest UXOs levels. When it comes to casualties, 37% of IDPs report to have personally

known people who died from UXO, with the highest levels also coming from Wadi Javef and Abuhadi. Even

in Harawah and Alamra, which are relatively more secure, IDPs report increased levels of insecurity due to

mines and other remnants of war, illustrating the importance of UXO clearance as part of a comprehensive

humanitarian response.


Despite these security concerns, 64% of Sirte’s IDPs report freedom of movement. However, IDPs living in

Harawah and Alamra report a greater freedom of movement than those in Abuhadi and Wadi Javef. Indeed,

only 32% of the IDPs in Wadi Javef and 44% of IDPs in Abuhadi feel that they can safely move around in

their community.

Although the security concerns of men and women are generally in agreement, there are a few differences

that should be highlighted. For example, while 66% of men identify their environment as secure, only 49% of

women do the same. Moreover, 24% of women identify criminal acts as a primary security concern,

compared to only 10% of men.

The assessment also found that women in Abuhadi feel particularly insecure when outside of the house. In

general, children appear to be safe in Sirte, with the exception of Abuhadi, where 63% of IDPs believe that

children are exposed to risks while moving about in the community, and Wadi Javef, where 19% perceive

their children to be at danger at school. Bullying and intimidating acts are reportedly used against children in

this community.

The Rapid Needs Assessment also found that IDPs find it difficult to take action in incidents when women

and children feel insecure. This is partly because IDPs struggle to identify the precise problem and articulate

the needs. This difficulty in identifying risks and articulating needs may have caused the security risks to

women and children to be underrepresented by the assessment.


Health

The Rapid Needs Assessment has identified health as a primary need in Sirte, where only 53% of IDPs

report access to health services. The average distance for Sirte IDPs to a health center is 57 km. In

Harawah, the average distance is 113 km, which is a significant hurdle, especially for pregnant women.

While Abuhadi and Wadi Javef have significant security challenges – as detailed above – they both have

fairly good access to health facilities, with average distances to the nearest health facility at less than 15 km.

While services in Wadi Javef are available on a daily basis, health services in the other locations are more

sporadic.

In terms of the quality of health services, only 29% of health facilities have doctors and, of those, only 50%

have female doctors. In Abuhadi, only 2% of health facilities have medicine, which was confirmed in focus

group discussions that identified pressing diabetes and blood pressure needs that remain largely unattended

due to lack of resources.


Resources in Clinics (%)3

Overall, only 68% of IDPs have access to routine vaccination, only 20% have access to obstetric care, and

only 14% have access to psychosocial care. Access to routine vaccinations is particularly low in Abuhadi,

where only 26% of IDPs have access. Interestingly, 96% of IDPs from Alamra report having access to

routine vaccinations. While dental care is available to 69% of IDPs in Alamra and 58% of IDPs in Harawah, it

is essentially non-existent to IDPs in Abuhadi and Wadi Javef.

Community Access to… (%)

3 The blue boxes in the following two tables highlight any medical service that is available to less than 30% in the community.

Resources/Locations Abuhadi Alamra Harawah Wadi Javef

Total

Medicine 2 18 32 59 32

Medical Supplies and Equipment

20

4 1 39 15

Doctors 44 5 24 46 29

Medical Support Staff 11 2 1 56 18

Female Doctors 7 98 60 21 50

Functional Buildings 26 73 21 18 32

Resources/Locations Abuhadi Alamra Harawah Wadi Javef

Total

Health Promotion 76 27 77 44 57

Outpatient Consultation 52 25 77 22 48

Inpatient Consultation 41 92 37 51 53

Routine Vaccination 26 96 77 55 68

Obstetric Care 17 15 29 14 20

Surgery 0 24 58 34 36

Psychosocial Care 0 14 28 0 14

Dental Care 4 69 58 0 37


Education

Overall, the assessment found that 47% of children do not attend school, with the worst attendance rates in

Alamra and Wadi Javef. Abuhadi has the highest rate school attendance at 83%.

The main obstacles to school attendance are reported to be insecurity, lack of teachers, and lack of physical

infrastructure. For those who do attend school, 54% lack textbooks, 40% lack teachers, and 31% lack

stationary.

Additionally, the focus group discussions found that while some youth have finished formal schooling, their

degrees do not match the needs of the current employment market, illustrating a mismatch between labor

supply and demand.

22.54%


Needs Identification

Below, an outline of needs reported by individuals interviewed:

51% reported the condition of their shelter to be too damaged, unsafe, or over-crowded

45% identified blankets and sleeping mats as their primary NFI need

While 94% of IDPs have access to local markets and 70% of IDPs receive an income, only 45% of

those markets are functional and rampant inflation hinders IDPs ability to fulfil basic needs

80% do not have a food stock that lasts more than one week

27% do not have access to enough water

57% have security concerns

47% do not have access to health services, and for those who have access, the quality if often

lacking

47% do not have access to education services

Protection Health Education Water Food Shelter NFIs

Abuhadi X X X X

Alamra X X X X

Harawah X X X

Wadi Javef X X X X X

Sirte X X X X X X X


Recommendations To address IDP needs in Sirte, Mercy Corps recommends that the

international community and local civil society organizations:

Work together with local authorities and aid organizations to

register IDPs, and increase local capacity when possible to

organize local humanitarian responses.

Facilitate safe and easy access to education and health

services through aid programs by providing resources,

technical support, and physical infrastructure.

Help identify, increase awareness to, and clear unexploded

ordnances.

Strengthen protection monitoring of women and children to

identify specific needs for program response. Create safe

spaces and increase awareness of Gender-Based Violence

and Child Protection.

Provide safe access to dignified shelter conditions to the most

vulnerable segments of the population.

Facilitate access to food and NFIs through cash programs.

Facilitate access to water by rehabilitating local infrastructures.

Support returns by providing welcome packages and one-off

assistance in safe and cleared areas.

45 SW Ankeny Street

Portland, Oregon 97204

888.842.0842

mercycorps.org

http://mercycorps.org/

Documents

SIRTE RAPID IDP NEEDS ASSESSMENT...Besides security, the primary pull factor is family reunification, at 47% -mostly for IDPs based in Alamra -, access to public services at 36% and