October 11, 2010

Internally Displaced Woman in the Metekhi settlement in the Gori Province, Georgia, May 2009. COPYRIGHT Riccardo Polastro, DARA

DARA participated in the first evaluation of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ (ICRC) policy on internally displaced persons (IDPs). The evaluation was the first to look at the organization’s operational position towards IDPs with the aim of improving the future protection and assistance provided to IDPs and victims of war.

As part of the 11 month study, a team of experts from DARA and regular partner organization Groupe URD conducted field visits to Colombia, Yemen, Chad, Sri Lanka and Georgia. The evaluators met with ICRC staff, UN agencies, NGOs, donors, government staff and displaced populations. DARA provided input on the methodological proposal. The organisation also conducted structured and semi-structured interviews and established workshops to validate findings.

Although there is currently no legally binding definition for an IDP, the ICRC has a specific mandate in the Geneva Conventions to protect and assist all civilians who have been affected by war, regardless of the category in which they are classified. DARA will extract lessons in political and operational terms in order to improve the ICRC’s response to the IDPs.