Impact of Internal Displacement on Livelihood of Pastoral Communities in Aslaya Locality-East Darfur State – Sudan

Abstract

This study was conducted in Asalaya locality, East Darfur State, Sudan. The study aimed to assess the impact of internal displacement on the livelihoods of pastoral communities, in addition to identifying the social, economic and environmental impacts of the internally displaced persons on the pastoral communities in the study area. The method of data collection mainly depend on the primary data, which included a field visit and a socio-economic survey of the settled pastoral communities and the displaced people in the study area to assess the general characteristics of those communities, in addition to the economic activities that they practice. A questionnaire was designed that targeted 60 heads of families, where they were randomly selected from the total number of families in those three randomly selected villages (Al-Ghazala Jawzat, Umm Warqat, and Al-Ma’ali) to represent the target community out of the total number of villages affected by the arrival of the displaced to the area. Secondary data covering topics related to the research was obtained from books, references, scientific research and the Internet. The data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program to extract the results in the form of percentages and frequencies. The study found that the majority of the respondents in the study area are sedentary herders who depend on animal grazing as a main source of income in addition to practicing agricultural activity before the arrival of the displaced. There are clear environmental effects after the arrival of the displaced, especially on the vegetation cover through excessive cutting of trees to build houses, and the use of fuel wood for cooking, in addition to the deterioration of range resources. The results of the study also showed a significant decrease in the number of livestock in the area as a result of agricultural expansion on natural range lands and block of the routes, which reduced the movement and mobility of the pastoral community. The study recommended that government bodies and non-governmental organizations should provide the necessary needs and provide basic services to the displaced and pastoral communities in their areas by supporting the livelihoods of families in the study area, diversifying sources of income, in addition to establishing health centers and schools. The study also recommended the need for great attention to expand the provision of services by focusing on the appropriate distribution of water points in the different grazing areas in order to reduce the occurrence of conflicts, in addition to increasing the number of other water sources such as Al-Dwanki, which provide drinking water for humans and animals in the area. Moreover, the related government institutions should be work on activating the policies and laws related to the registration of range lands, in addition to the demarcation of routes, which helps in the organization and management of range lands and water points in a sustainable manner. In addition to the involvement of native administrations in resolving conflicts that occur between settled pastoral communities and other users in the study area.