IOM conducted a community workshop to identify priority needs of livelihoods interventions for Sudanese returnees and host communities. The workshop is part of the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK Government’s funded project Monitoring Migration Flows through the Displacement Tracking Matrix and Enhancing the Protection of Migrants through Direct Assistance and Durable Solution. The workshop was successful in identifying the main areas needed for livelihood support to promote economic local re-integration and included community based conversations promoting community ownership and resilience.

IOM is currently designing livelihood interventions for vulnerable Sudanese returnees and host communities in Geneina and Krenik localities to support their safe return and local reintegration. The two day-workshop was conducted to inform IOM on such interventions and encourage communities themselves to identify their needs and support sustainable re-integration for five selected villages: Majmare, Hashaba, Farita, Um Sebeikha and Nyoro. The workshop was attended by 37 participants gathered representing community leaders, youth and women’s unions from the two localities. Local authorities from the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Police, the Ministry of Animal Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture were also actively involved in the workshop discussions.

The HAC commissioner Mr. Mohammed Manzole on his opening speech stated that “the return issue is West Darfur government’s priority as they already developed their annual work plan to promote sustainable re-integration for returnees.” After IOM presentation led by the head of IOM’s Sub office, West Darfur, the participants were divided into two focus group discussions to identify main needs in livelihoods by locality. The representatives of the two ministries were actively participated in discussions to support the participants to consolidate ideas and needs.

The workshop enabled positive discussions and the participants recognized the importance of working with host communities to increase social cohesion which will help prevent future conflicts and therefore support the sustainable re-integration process. The participants agreed on the main needs in livelihood activities including: vocational trainings, agriculture extension services and support to small income generating activities. They agreed that the project will not be able to address all the identified needs but interventions should be equally distributed among villages and to ensure the inclusion of youth and women. The participants also selected the members of the local management committees to support designing, implementation and monitoring processes of the livelihoods activities.