The long road home: Opportunities and obstacles to the reintegration of IDPs and refugees returning to Southern Sudan and the
Three Areas
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This latest HPG study examines the patterns of return and determinants
for successful reintegration in two contrasting areas of Sudan (Southern Kordofan and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states). It is the first output of a broader research project looking at one of the
world's largest return and reintegration processes.The study, which was commissioned and funded by the UK Department for International Development, examines a range of themes associated with
reintegration, such as livelihoods opportunities, land governance, customary and local government institutions, leadership and security. It highlights inadequacies in the planning, coordination and
approaches adopted in support of successful reintegration, including the lack of appropriate funding instruments and resources for medium term programming. In a context burdened by multiple and
exceptional post-war challenges, unsystematic support for returnees and host populations risks aggravating discontent and undermining stability, putting pressure on an already troubled peace process.
The study recommends a greater focus on area-based recovery that includes the host and returnee populations without distinction.
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