Challenges and Coping Mechanisms of Internally Displaced People Resettled in Adama and Sebeta Towns of Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to give perceptiveness into the challenges faced by internally displaced people (IDP) who are dislocated from the Somali region and their coping experience. The study employed both qualitative (using in-depth interview, key informant interview, FGD and observation) and quantitative (using questionnaire) research approaches. A sample of 610 respondents was selected through a systematic random sampling technique to ensure the representativeness of the data. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that there were several challenges faced by IDP uprooted from the Somali region and currently resettled in Adama and Sebeta towns. Some of the most common challenges experienced by the IDP were food insecurity, lack of health care, housing problem, lack of income-generating sources, unemployment, and family separation. These findings confirmed that shortage of food and malnutrition were serious problems for the IDP. Results from this study further indicated that, even though they have encountered various challenges, they have attempted to employ different mechanisms to overcome their hardships. The study recommends that the federal government and regional governments are expected to consistently implement a dependable legal and institutional framework for the control of internal displacement and provision of necessary support for the displaced people.