The rights of displaced persons ✍️Hisham Mahmoud Suleiman…former Secretary General of the Commission on Human Rights
In light of the wave of displacement sweeping through Sudanese society today due to frequent violations committed by the Rapid Support Militia, I will discuss
The rights of displaced persons in multiple aspects, such as legal, humanitarian, social, economic and political aspects, with emphasis on the challenges faced by displaced persons and ways to support and protect them.
First, the rights of displaced people:
1 The right to protection and security The rights of displaced people must be protected
Especially women and children, as they are most vulnerable to many forms of violence during displacement, including these types
Sexual violence
In many cases, women and girls in camps or on the move are exposed to sexual violence, including rape and sexual exploitation. This often occurs in conditions where security is absent, making it easier to commit these violations.
B Physical and psychological violence Displaced people are sometimes subjected to torture or harsh treatment by authorities or armed groups. This includes death threats, forced detention and physical and psychological torture.
Child exploitation
Displaced children may be exploited for forced or sexual labor or recruited into armed groups.
Discrimination and segregation
Displaced people may be exposed to discrimination based on their ethnic, religious or even political background, increasing their exposure to further violence and exploitation.
C legal protection
The right not to be forcibly returned under international law: No person should be forced to return to an area where they would be exposed to threats to their life or freedom. This requires governments to put in place legal mechanisms guaranteeing the right to asylum and asylum. guarantee individuals protection against forced return to areas of conflict or political or religious persecution.
h Legal documentation for displaced people
In many cases, displaced people lose their legal documents due to the conflict, including identity documents such as passports and national identity cards, making it more difficult to secure their legal rights in displaced communities. welcome or in case of return.
The right to basic services
Second, social rights:
1The right to housing: –
In cases of forced displacement, displaced people are provided with temporary accommodation such as camps or community centers, but these shelters are often insufficient or overcrowded with displaced people, leading to poor health conditions.
These camps cannot be equipped:
Camps where the number of displaced people increases over time may lack appropriate infrastructure such as health facilities, exposing displaced people to infectious diseases such as cholera or malaria.
B food and water
Providing sufficient and nutritious food is a constant challenge in areas of displacement. In emergency situations, fresh food may not be available, increasing health risks, such as malnutrition, and also putting children and pregnant women at double risk.
It is also necessary to provide sewage, water and sanitation facilities. Many camps lack clean water supplies and adequate sanitation, increasing the risk of the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, which can lead to death. many people displaced due to infectious diseases.
C The right to health care Displaced people need ongoing medical services, including treatment for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, in addition to emergency care for injuries caused by the conflict.
Mental health: –
Many displaced people suffer from mental health problems as a result of the trauma they suffered in conflict zones, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Providing mental health services is important, but these services are often in short supply.
D. education :-
Education is severely affected during periods of displacement. Many children are forced to stop studying due to displacement. This has a long-term impact on an entire generation of children who lose their educational opportunities.
Therefore, temporary schools must be established
Temporary schools in camps or reception areas represent a temporary solution to educate children, but with the presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced people in some cases, these schools are most of the time not equipped with sufficient resources or of trained teachers, therefore interactive software A system must be created to provide educational programs via the Internet or modern technologies. They can be an innovative solution, but this requires infrastructure and technologies that may be lacking in most cases.
3 The right to voluntary return or resettlement
A. Voluntary return
Under international law, displaced people have the right to return home if conditions improve. The return must take place voluntarily and without any threat.
Upon returning to their country of origin, displaced people face major challenges in rebuilding their lives. Many conflict-affected communities must rebuild their homes, infrastructure, education and healthcare.
Resettlement B
Cross-border displaced persons who cannot return to their country due to conflict or persecution may be resettled in third countries, including housing and social and legal support in host communities.
Resettlement Challenges:-
These challenges include difficulties integrating into new cultures, economic difficulties, and restrictions in access to education or health care.
4. The right to documentation and citizenship
Many displaced people lose their identity documents during conflict or forced migration. This is considered a major loss as they lose their right to legal documents and recognition of their citizenship. This may expose them to exploitation or even lose their right to return or benefit from government services, which is therefore the case.
The right to obtain documents requires governments to put in place mechanisms for displaced people to obtain new identity documents when necessary.
5. The right to non-discrimination and equality
Discrimination in host communities Displaced people may face discrimination in the host country based on their ethnicity, religion or status as displaced persons. Discrimination can include not having equal opportunities at work or access to basic services.
Equal rights:
Displaced persons should have the same rights as citizens of the host country, including education, work, health care and housing.d.
6. International support and humanitarian aid: –
A. International cooperation
Cooperation between countries and humanitarian organizations
An effective humanitarian response is the result of the cooperation of the international community, including States and international non-governmental organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Red Cross, which play an essential role in the coordination and delivery of aid. .
And the introduction of durable solutions, such as long-term development programs, can help improve conditions for displaced people, for example by building basic facilities and improving health and education infrastructure.
For. Humanitarian aid
The provision of emergency humanitarian assistance includes the provision of food, shelter, water and medicine, but this support is often limited in the long term and must be sustained.
Financial assistance: –
Financial assistance provided by countries or institutions helps fund relief and resettlement programs, but political pressures on countries can affect the ability of those countries to contribute effectively.
7. The major challenges faced by displaced people
A. Psychological trauma
Forced displacement can have serious psychological effects on individuals, particularly children. The psychological challenges that displaced people face include:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Depression and anxiety resulting from stressful circumstances
For. Economic challenges
Poverty Many displaced people live in extreme poverty because they do not have stable employment opportunities or sufficient financial resources to support themselves or their families.
These are the rights that displaced people should enjoy when an armed conflict breaks out.
