School of Psychology

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Browsing School of Psychology by Subject "access to public services"

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    Assessing Protection Support and Access to Public Services of the Eritrean Refugees in Alemwach Settlement, Dabat Woreda, Amhara Region
    (Addis Ababa University, 2024) Tamirat Mezgebu; Abebaw Minaye (PhD)
    The primary aim of this study was to assess the protection support and access to public services for Eritrean refugees in the Alemwach Settlement, situated in the Dabat woreda, Amhara Region. For this study 216 refugee community members were participated and also including refugee committee, different stalk holders from GO and NGO participated for FGD and KII. The participants included Eritrean refugees living in the Alemwach settlement in Dabat, Amhara. The study addressed three main research questions. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, combining both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The qualitative methods included: Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with refugee community members and stakeholders from both government organizations (GOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).34 participants were part of the FGD with different sessions. Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with service providers, humanitarian organizations, and government officials based in Dabat. For quantitative method two Standardized questionnaires for social and psychological wellbeing of refugees were employed. The research also used secondary documents. The study examined how Eritrean refugees receive support and protection services from government and nongovernmental organizations in the Alemwach settlement. The findings revealed that access to basic public services for Eritrean refugees is inadequate due to various challenges, including logistical issues and insufficient infrastructure. The study explored the psychological challenges faced by refugees, who were secondarily displaced from former camps in the Tigray region to Alemwach in the Amhara region. Using a standardized psychological and social wellbeing scale, the study found that while most refugees have adjusted to their new environment, some still need additional psychosocial support due to past traumatic experiences. Despite these challenges, both the refugee and host communities generally maintained a positive outlook. The study assessed how refugees access and share public services with the host community, following the UNHCR’s integrated area based approach. The results identified gaps and challenges in accessing shared services, such as healthcare and education. Several unmet needs were highlighted, including camp security, opportunities for social interaction and participation, movement restrictions, and access to education and health services. The study also identified significant unmet psychosocial needs and gaps between the services required by refugees and those provided by agencies and humanitarian organizations, largely due to budget constraints. Key unmet needs include: Security within the camp; Opportunities for social interaction and participation; Freedom of movement.; Access to education and health services; Legal needs, such as documentation for new births and ID cards and Proof of registration for refugees. A simple descriptive analysis was conducted to understand the support provided to the Eritrean refugee community and their access to basic public services in the Alemwach settlement. The findings underscore the need for improved support mechanisms and better service provision to meet the needs of Eritrean refugees in the region. Key words: protection support; Eritrean refugees; access to public services; psychosocial support, unmet needs