In the Central Sahel, 2024 revealed significant housing, land, and property issues as primary causes of displacement and violence, with reported incidents highlighting the violation of property rights. Displaced communities showed significantly higher housing needs, indicating an urgent requirement for effective land management and assistance. Collaboration across various sectors is essential to address these challenges and support community reintegration and stability.
In 2024, communities in the Central Sahel reported two out of five protection incidents, highlighting significant violations of property rights. Land and property issues not only contributed to intercommunity tensions but also manifested as violence through extortion, theft, looting, and destruction. This trend represents a major threat to civilians in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, leading to increased displacement.
Data indicates that displaced persons faced double the shelter needs of host communities, stressing the urgent requirement for construction and rehabilitation of housing. Access to adequate shelter remains a prevalent need as half of the relevant communities identified it as essential for their circumstances. These structural housing needs emphasize the lasting challenges tied to forced displacement.
Forced displacement aggravates existing housing, land, and property (HLP) issues while intensifying the competition for resources and services in semi-urban areas. This conflict over land access is complicated by differing customary and legal frameworks, enhancing tenure insecurity and the risk of forced evictions. Effective land management is key to delivering assistance, especially in developing secure housing and income opportunities.
Within the Central Sahel, donations have been the primary means (65%) through which access to land has been facilitated. Furthermore, the ability to secure land significantly influences displaced communities’ willingness to return or integrate with local populations. Hence, addressing HLP issues is critical for peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts, requiring cooperative strategies across humanitarian and developmental sectors.
In conclusion, addressing housing, land, and property issues is paramount for alleviating the challenges faced by displaced communities in the Central Sahel. The urgency of addressing these issues is underscored by the notable disparity in shelter needs and the necessity for effective land management. Enhanced cooperation between humanitarian actors and local governance is essential to promote durable solutions and foster stability in the region.
Original Source: reliefweb.int
