This brief highlights the emerging problem of growing number of urban IDPs in Juba. It draws attention to their unique experiences and challenges which the COVID-19 has exacerbated owing to their already poor living conditions and lack of access to basic social services. The brief argues that urgent and bold actions need to be taken to ensure that urban IDPs are not left behind in South Sudan’s development agenda. In particular, it recommends that; (i) the measures adopted by the government in fighting COVID-19 needs to prioritise urban IDPs and urges coordination with aid agencies to ensure that risk communication strategies are tailored to their needs and circumstances; (ii) that the government ensure provision of basic food aid to cushion sudden loss in income due to disruptions in the economy caused by COVID-19 and to ensure that the most vulnerable amongst urban IDPs are protected. Finally, it emphasises the need for the government to support long term settlement in areas that are surveyed and safe for them.
By Guled Ali | Nov 13, 2025
The Somali Region of Ethiopia has shifted toward local integration as a preferred solution for over one million internally displaced persons (IDPs). This piece examines how the Somali Region's policy blueprint provides a valuable model for integrating displacement responses into development strategies. The blueprint features evidence-based policy, institutional coordination, and community incentives, including plans to transform Qoloji, the region’s largest IDP site, into a city-level administrative or district hub. By placing IDPs at the center of decision-making and adapting to specific social and economic contexts, the Region advances durable, equitable, and development-oriented solutions that offer lessons for Ethiopia and beyond.