ASSISTING REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPs)
OHED members have the obligation to protect the rights of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to the same standard as that for all citizens in the DR Congo. As a humanitarian organization, OHED is frequently called upon to support the Congolese State and concerned humanitarian agencies to meet this obligation. This framework is also intended to assess existing protection capacities and identify protection gaps in reception sites.
So, it is thus designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the situation of IDPs and of affected populations, including host communities, returning IDPs and persons at risk of displacement to highlight the main risks they face.
EVALUATION OF MOVEMENTS OF POPULATIONS AND DISASTERS
OHED members are aware that refugees are people who have crossed an international frontier and are at risk, or have been sometimes victims of persecution in their country of origin. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), on the other hand, have not crossed an international frontier, but have also had to flee their homes due to some security reasons.
In operational zones, OHED members are campaigning on how refugees and IDPs should cohabit peacefully with host families and how they should be protected according to humanitarian laws ; mainly the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951), the Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (1969), human rights laws, and particularly by the principles of non-refoulement which fall under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Besides, refugees should receive special protection education from OHED and adequate protection mechanisms afforded by the government.
RESPECTING REFUGIES, IDPS AND OTHER VULNERABLE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN NEED
Up to 83% of the forcibly displaced people are hosted in low-income zones where OHED is operating while putting a strain on host communities and resources. Their survival depends on the availability of assistance provided by the authorities, local communities and humanitarian organizations (OHED included). However, in most host villages, IDPs have never received any assistance of specific kind for years.
Both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) often face protection challenges and lack access to shelter, food and other basic services. In host areas, they struggle with poverty, lack of psychosocial support and various challenges in normalizing their legal status. Violence, abuse and exploitation against refugees and IDPs often peak in the aftermath of new emergencies. OHED needs much support to assist them in zones where no service is provided.
