Social Protection Systems for Internally Displaced Populations, Returnees, and Host Communities in the Great Lakes Region

Social protection systems for internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities in fragile and conflict affected settings are critical to sustainable responses to protracted and cyclical displacement. Focusing on the Great Lakes Region (GLR), Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda, this report assesses the capacity of national social protection systems to address the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of displacement affected populations beyond short term humanitarian assistance. Using an adapted adaptive social protection framework, the analysis examines five system dimensions: (a) policies and legal rights, (b) institutional arrangements, (c) programs and delivery systems, (d) data and information systems, and (e) financing. Findings show that despite regional and international commitments, most notably the Kampala Convention, social protection systems remain weakly equipped to respond to large scale internal displacement and return, with assistance largely delivered through humanitarian channels, particularly in conflict affected areas. The report concludes that strengthening government led social protection systems to systematically include IDPs, returnees, and vulnerable host communities on the basis of need is critical to enhancing resilience, supporting reintegration, and reducing long term dependence on humanitarian assistance in the GLR.