Andrew Mitchell (2018) Harnessing social protection for forcibly displaced people - conceptual overview

According to Andrew Mitchell, UNHCR´s Senior Solutions Officer, meeting the increasing challenges of those affected by forced displacement including displaced families, host  communities and national systems facing increased demand, requires support in two key areas:

I. A better transition from humanitarian operations to longer‐term actions through joint government and  international actor initiatives that more effectively manage protracted displacement;

II. Better  preparedness  and  contingency  planning  built  into  national  systems  that  more  effectively  prepares for and responds to multiple waves of displacement.  

Supporting a transition out of humanitarian assistance accompanied by international protection services means  putting  in  place  an  overall  referral  process  to  national  government  systems,  internationally  supported  development programmes, and a reinforcement of informal and locally‐led systems where people cannot rely on  the government. In many contexts, many of the functions of humanitarian and protection sectors or clusters fall  within the functions of social protection programmes led by the government and development actors.  

As  such,  investment  in  social  protection  systems  is  highly  strategic  for  the  management  of  protracted  displacement and for a better preparation around situations generating multiple waves of displacement.