EXPLORING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC REINTEGRATION OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS : A CASE STUDY OF ADWA TOWN, TIGRAY REGION .

Abstract

This study explored the socio-economic reintegration process of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adwa Town, Tigray, following their conflict-induced displacement. Grounded in a qualitative, phenomenological research design, the study sought to understand the lived experiences of IDPs, the role of stakeholders, and the systemic challenges hindering durable solutions. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling was used to select 33 IDPs for FGDs and IDIs and 12 key informants. Data gathered through these methods and sources were interpreted thematically through the theoretical lenses of the Rights-Based Approach and Human Security framework. The findings reveal a significant institutional support mechanisms were fundamentally misaligned with the needs of the IDPs. The subsequent reintegration programs failed to adequately address. Economic reintegration efforts, primarily through MSEs, were crippled by prohibitive loan conditions, a lack of needs-based planning, and the exclusion of IDPs from the design process. Socially, initial host community solidarity eroded due to economic pressures and stigmatization, undermining community security. The study concludes that the reintegration process in Adwa failed to achieve a durable solution, leaving IDPs in a state of dependency. This failure is attributed to systemic governance flaws and a profound disconnect from the lived realities of IDPs. The study recommends the development of a national IDP policy grounded in a Rights-Based Approach, the reform of financial support models to be conflict-sensitive, and the establishments of participatory mechanisms to ensure IDPs are active agents in their own recovery