Ongoing efforts to find new and innovative ways to support the livelihoods of forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) – refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, returnees and people displaced directly or indirectly due to climate change – highlight the numerous barriers to establishing sustainable livelihoods in displacement.

This policy brief is one component of a three-part research project undertaken by the HPG on behalf of the IKEA Foundation. The project delves into the state of displacement around the world, with a particular focus on the types of investment that have been effective in building sustainable livelihoods for FDPs. This policy brief aims to build on the evidence collected, including in the Global evidence review and the Mogadishu case study, to offer practical and realistic recommendations to humanitarian and development donors, both traditional donors and the private sector, policymakers and practitioners who are seeking to fund and implement livelihoods interventions for FDPs. While each intervention will inherently look different, based on the type of FDP it is targeting and the country in which it is being implemented, this policy brief offers four overarching recommendations that should be tailored and adjusted for each context.

Report by the Overseas Development Institute