THE IDP SITUATION IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF MALAWI DISPLACEMENT TRACKING MATRIX (DTM) REPORT - Preliminary Findings DoDMA
Target Districts: Blantyre, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Nsanje, Phalombe, and Zomba 6 March 2015
HIGHLIGHTS Key preliminary findings of the first phase of site assessments include: ·
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DTM teams visited and assessed the 253 displacement sites that had been previously identified and listed by DoDMA and humanitarian partners.1 These sites were located in Blantyre, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Nsanje, Phalombe, and Zomba districts. Of the 253 displacement sites visited and assessed, 191 are open sites at present. 62 sites on the original list of displacement sites are now closed.2 The estimated total population in the 191 open displacement sites is 173,000 IDPs, comprising approximately 43,000 households. 56 percent of the total estimated IDP population resides in only 25 sites that host more than 500 IDP households. The majority of IDPs were identified in Nsanje District (46.4 percent of total) and Phalombe District (18.6 percent of total). The estimated IDP population in the open sites comprises 58 percent women and 48 percent men. The vast majority of IDPs—74 percent of the total estimated IDP population—resides in sites that were created spontaneously following the floods. Planned and pre-identified sites comprise only 13 and 12 percent of the total number of sites, respectively. The average household size among the IDP population in open sites is 4.1.
Caveat: The dynamics of flood- and heavy rains-induced displacement in southern Malawi are fluid. New sites have opened since the first phase of the DTM began, whilst other sites have closed. The need to cover as yet unverified sites prior to the launch of the first comprehensive site profile data is recognised. DTM is a continuous assessment tool; the ongoing verification exercises will continue to improve the integrity and scope of data as well and will adjust to the evolving context and information needs to best serve the needs of the Government of Malawi and the humanitarian community.
Recommendation: This report recommends the adoption of the current population and location data herein as the most reliable information available on displacement sites which can facilitate planning, prioritization and identification of humanitarian gaps for displacement sites in Malawi.
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The list of displacement sites that served as the basis for the first DTM Master List Update was the list compiled and circulated by the Information Management Working Group (IMWG) on 11 February 2015. 2 Only sites visited, assessed and verified by the DTM teams are included in these figures (based on the 11 February 2015 displacement site list compiled by IMWG). In the case of new sites, inaccessible sites, or sites not reported to the IMWG, the DTM teams will verify the statuses of these sites and the findings of these rapid site assessments will be reflected in the next Master List Update.
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CONTENTS Introduction Methodology Preliminary Assessment Findings - Location of Displaced Population - Type of Site - Demographic Information Contact information
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INTRODUCTION The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) is a data collection system which allows the tracking and monitoring of displaced populations. The data helps the humanitarian community map displacement sites, record internally displaced persons (IDPs) figures, and assess needs, gaps, vulnerabilities and mobility of the displaced population. DTM assessments are being carried out by IOM staff and nongovernmental organization (NGO) partners, including Save the Children, Sustainable Rural Community Development (SURCOD) and All Hands Volunteers, with the support of local government officers in the six most affected districts of Nsanje, Chikwawa, Phalombe, Zomba, Mulanje and Blantyre. Approximately 250 displacement sites had been previously identified by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and the humanitarian community during preliminary assessments,3 but specific information regarding site locations, demographics and information related to IDP needs was lacking. In response to requests for assistance from the GOM and the international community, IOM has deployed staff with extensive experience in establishing data collection systems for IDPs in various emergency settings and established a 45-person field-based team for the DTM project. This expertise and reach will continue to contribute to the current flood response through the ongoing implementation of DTM in the Southern Region of Malawi and wide dissemination of assessment findings. The data presented in this report reflects findings from initial assessments conducted in February 2015 as part of the DTM program, which aims to strengthen the capacity of DoDMA and other partners in the field to collect and disseminate data on IDPs in a unified and systematized manner. The DTM assessments were carried out by local government officers, non-governmental organization (NGO) partners, and IOM staff. This report encompasses the data collected through the assessments conducted in the six most affected districts— Blantyre, Chikwawa, Mulanje, Nsanje, Phalombe, and Zomba— where IDP presence has been reported. The total number of IDPs and other information presented in this report reflect only the locations assessed in this first round of DTM assessments. Subsequent rounds of DTM assessment will build upon these initial findings. The DTM program is being implemented by IOM in close collaboration with the Government of Malawi and is made possible by the generous support of the Central Emergency Response Fund
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The list of displacement sites that served as the basis for the first DTM Master List Update was the list compiled and circulated by the Information Management Working Group on 11 February 2015.
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(CERF), the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), the UN One Fund, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID). METHODOLOGY The DTM project was introduced to the Government of Malawi and humanitarian actors to support the flood response in the most affected districts of the Southern Region of the country. In advance of the assessment, three areas of intervention (Zomba and Phalombe, Nsanje and Chikwawa, and Mulanje and Blantyre) were pre-defined to ease logistical, coordination, and reporting mechanisms among project staff. The total number of sites was based on previously reported site counts. DTM activities are being implemented according to the well-established methodology, which has been endorsed by the Government of Malawi and is being carried out by teams comprising members of the DoDMA, NGO partners, and IOM staff. Humanitarian partners in the field are also participating in the assessment on an ad hoc basis. The two steps in data collection under this phase of the DTM include: 1. Master List Update / Baseline DTM teams use an existing list of sites compiled and shared by the Information Management Working Group to initiate the baseline assessment.4 DTM project teams visit all sites and cross-check data collected against this original list, progressively making improvements to existing information on the status of displacement sites. In order to update the Master List, DTM teams conduct rapid assessments of each site to verify whether it is still open, record its exact location, use key informant interviews and direct observation to provide estimates of the IDP figures, draw site layouts, take photos, and note other relevant information, such as contact details of site focal points. If the DTM teams identify new displacement sites that are not on the existing list, the site is assigned a new site identification number (SSID) and the site is added to the updated Master List. Once the rapid assessments have been completed by field staff, assessment forms are verified by team leaders, and data is further verified and entered into a global IOM DTM system by data 4
The list of displacement sites that served as the basis for the first DTM Master List Update was the list compiled and circulated by the Information Management Working Group on 11 February 2015.
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analysts. A final detailed review of inputs is conducted by an IOM DTM expert. Once the data is compiled and finalized, IOM disseminates the updated list of sites with a corresponding map to DoDMA and the humanitarian community. The Master List will be updated and shared on a regular basis with key stakeholders. 2. Site Assessment In the first round of the DTM, DTM teams conduct a full assessment of every open site identified through the first Master List Update. The assessment form, which has been used by IOM in other emergency settings, has been adapted to the Malawi context. Key informants such as IDP leaders, camp monitors and service providers will be interviewed to capture reliable and accurate information with regard to site population demographics, as well as needs and gaps of the displaced population. The interviews will be complemented by a direct observation to verify the information provided by key informants. After a first verification of the forms at the field level, the data will be further verified by IOM staff in Lilongwe, before being processed and analyzed for the production of the monthly DTM report. Full site assessments will be carried out in all open sites on a regular basis to ensure that the most up to date information on the numbers, needs and movements of IDPs can be gathered and shared with the government and the humanitarian community. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT FINDINGS The IDP population profile in the Southern Region reflects data collected for 253 sites, of which 191 are open and 62 are closed.5 Location of Population As the emergency situation is dynamic and human mobility is often difficult to capture in real time, the DTM assessment provides the humanitarian community with an update on where the highest number of IDPs and IDP sites are located and where previously reported sites have closed. Table 1: Number of Open and Closed Sites identified per District District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
Closed Sites
Open Sites 6 1 6 7 10 32 62
Total 14 186 10 31 64 54 191
20 19 16 38 74 86 253
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The list of displacement sites that served as the basis for the first DTM Master List Update was the list compiled and circulated by the Information Management Working Group on 11 February 2015. 6 The newly-established site in Bereu, Chikwawa is not reflected in this figure. However, DTM teams have conducted the initial assessment in the site and the site will appear in the next Master List Update. The same process will take place for newly established, currently inaccessible, or previously unreported sites in all six districts. IOM is
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Table 2: Number of IDP Individuals and Households identified at Open Sites per District District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
IDPs - Individuals 796 29,839 2,347 80,387 32,259 27,535 173,163
% of Total IDPs 0.5% 17.2% 1.4% 46.4% 18.6% 15.9% 100.0%
IDP - Households Average Household Size 278 2.9 7,802 3.8 607 3.9 18,496 4.3 9,439 3.4 6,031 4.6 42,653 4.1
The data in table 2 is also represented in charts 1 and 2 below, which indicate that Nsanje District hosts the highest number of IDPs—more than 80,000 people, or 46.4 percent of the total IDP population as assessed through the first phase of the DTM. The second highest figure is recorded in Phalombe District, which hosts more than 32,000 IDPs, or 18.6 percent of the total IDP population. The overall average IDP household size is 4.1 Chart 1: Number of IDP Individuals Identified at Open Sites per District 80,387
32,259
29,839
27,535
2,347
796 Blantyre
Chikwawa
Mulanje
Nsanje
Phalombe
Zomba
The data shows that the districts with the highest number of households are Phalombe and Zomba. Table 3: IDP Sites by Size by Number of Households District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
Unknown
1-9 8 3
1 1 2
2 9 22
10 - 49 4 1 4 14 17 40
50 - 99 1 2 1 22 10 36
100 - 199 1 3 2 10 8 8 32
200 - 499
500 - 999
1000 +
5 1 7 14 7 34
5
2
7 3 2 17
6
8
Total 14 18 10 31 64 54 191
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Table 4: Number of IDP Households at IDP Sites by Size District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje
Unknown
Phalombe Zomba Total
1-9 24
50 - 99 64 135
21
10 - 49 74 48 64
200 - 499
500 - 999
1000 +
1 509 220 2 410
3 171
2 528
88
100 - 199 116 411 302 1 517
0 0
11 34
415 466
0
90
1,067
Total
4 999
9 482
1 642 683
1 308 1 012
3 823 2 350
2 240 1 486
2,612
4,666
10,312
11,896
12,010
278 7,802 607 18,496 9,439 6,031 42,653
Type of Site The data also reflects which sites had been pre-selected and those that were created spontaneously following the floods. The majority of IDPs in the Southern Region of Malawi—74 percent—are residing in spontaneous sites that were established following the onset of floods. Table 5: Number and Type of Sites per District District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
Host Community -1 1 --1 3
Planned
Pre-identified
-7 1 16 --
1 2 2 1 17
24
23
Spontaneous 13 8 6 14 47 53 141
Total 14 18 10 31 64 54 191
Chart 2: Breakdown of Type of Site 74%
13%
12%
Planned
Pre Identified Site
2% Host Community
Spontaneous
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Demographic Information The data shows that the majority of IDPs in Southern Malawi are women; 58 percent of the total IDP population is female. Table 6: Male-Female Distribution of IDP Population per District – Total Figures District Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
Total
Male 796 29,839 2,347 80,387 32,259 27,535 173,163
Female 279 14,024 908 34,579 12,249 10,949 72,987
517 15,815 1,439 45,808 20,010 16,586 100,176
Assessment findings show that women are more represented than men in all six target districts, whilst women comprise more than 60 percent of the IDP population in three districts—Blantyre, Phalombe, and Mulanje. Table 7: Male-Female Distribution of IDP Population per District - Percentage District
Male
Blantyre Chikwawa Mulanje Nsanje Phalombe Zomba Total
Female 35% 47% 39% 43% 38% 40% 42%
65% 53% 61% 57% 62% 60% 58%
Chart 3: Male-Female Distribution of IDP Population per District - Percentage 100% 90% 80% 70%
53% 65%
61%
57%
62%
60%
60% 50%
Female
40%
Male
30% 20%
47% 35%
39%
43%
38%
40%
Mulanje
Nsanje
Phalombe
Zomba
10% 0% Blantyre
Chikwawa
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Annexe 1: Dashboard displacement sites Annexe 2: Master List dataset Annexe 3: KMZ files of displacement sites by size Annexe 4: Overview map of displacement sites
CONTACTS Director of DoDMA - James Chiusiwa | chiusiwaj@yahoo.com | +265 (0) 999 937 952 IOM Head of Office - Sam Grundy | sgrundy@iom.int | +265 (0) 885 24 81
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