Movements

IOM's Movements Programmes in Southern Africa

Civil wars in a number of the SADC countries over the last decades have resulted in both internal and external displacement, and the need to coordinate responses by both the international community and affected states in terms of demobilization of former combatants, adressing reintegration of IDPs and the repatriation of refugees.

As a cornerstone service within IOM’s long standing mandate, emergency assistance to persons displaced by conflict continues to be a focus for the Organization in the Southern African region. Since 1992, IOM has been active in working with former combatants and their family members, IDPs, and refugees in the region.

Vulnerable persons in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have benefited from specialised and life saving assistance from IOM and its partners. Currently, IOM is carrying out with UNHCR a large scale voluntary repatriation of Angolan refugees from a number of host countries, including Zambia, Namibia, and the DRC, and is contributing significantly to the stabilisation of war affected populations inside Angola itself. IOM is planning a limited voluntary repatriation to the DRC for 2004 and 2005.

With favourable conditions prevailing in Rwanda, Rwandan refugees in a number of countries in Southern Africa will be assisted to return home starting in 2004. Persons without the possibility to return home are given equal attention by IOM, UNHCR and both host and resettlement countries, and 3rd country resettlement, when deemed the only feasible recourse, is carried out by IOM as required.

With the evolving economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe, thousands of its citizens, including persons who have suffered destitution and displacement as a result of drought and land reform are moving across borders. In conjunction with the UN Country Team, IOM is providing essential food and non-food assistance to vulnerable groups within the country. In addition, in conjunction with future recovery efforts, IOM will be initiating a survey in South Africa and in the United Kingdom to ‘map’ skilled and professional Zimbabweans and their inclinations to return to Zimbabwe or contribute to the economic and social recovery of the country in other ways.