Informal Tented Settlements: A Multi-Sector Baseline Assessment

Status:	Published 1 November 2013 - 31 December 2013
Funded
Methodology:	Data collection finished, Published
Methodology description:	The methodology used for this assessment was a household-level sweep5 of all ITS where refugees affected by the Syrian Crisis reside in the governorates of Mafraq, Balqa, and Irbid; the map below shows the location of ITS assessed6. These were identified through the use of key informants (government stakeholders at the local level, NGOs, service providers, community leaders, etc). After the assessments were completed, a second sweep of the regions was conducted to ensure that no ITS had been missed.
Sampling:	Random
Sampling size:	32 informal settlements, 603 households, and 3,285 individuals
Target population:	Urban / Rural Population
Target settlement:	Self-settled camps/Informal tented settlements
Measurement:	Community, Household, Individual

Informal Tented Settlements: A Multi-Sector Baseline Assessment

Status:	Published 1 November 2013 - 31 December 2013
Funded
Methodology:	Community Key informant, Household key informant interviews
Methodology description:	The methodology used for this assessment was a household-level sweep5 of all ITS where refugees affected by the Syrian Crisis reside in the governorates of Mafraq, Balqa, and Irbid; the map below shows the location of ITS assessed6. These were identified through the use of key informants (government stakeholders at the local level, NGOs, service providers, community leaders, etc). After the assessments were completed, a second sweep of the regions was conducted to ensure that no ITS had been missed.
Sampling:	Random
Sampling size:	32 informal settlements, 603 households, and 3,285 individuals
Target population:	Urban / Rural Population
Target settlement:	Self-settled camps/Informal tented settlements
Measurement:	Community, Household, Individual

The purpose of this report is to provide a baseline assessment of the welfare, needs, vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms of Syrian refugees residing in informal tented settlements across the governorates of Mafraq, Balqa, and Irbid. Although no consensus exists as to what actually constitutes an ITS either in policy-making or academic circles, the UN Habitat Programme has published a generic definition which will be used as a baseline.

Main Findings

The findings in this report highlight the perilous state of those refugees that are forced by socio-economic and socio-cultural reasons to reside in ITS. Whilst the pursuit of income-generating opportunities is a major factor in their establishment, it is worth noting how demographic, cultural and social reasons also affect a household’s decision to reside in an ITS. For instance, whilst the majority of the population in Za’atari refugee camp is from the Syrian governorate of Dara’a by origin, the assessment revealed that the vast majority of ITS residents are from the governorates of Aleppo, Hama, and Rural Damascus. Inter-community tensions within the camp have been reported as a significant factor in the decision of ITS households to leave Za’atari refugee camp.