IDP Needs Assessment
The aims of the survey were:
1. To define the number of IDPs in need
2. To identify specific needs of IDPs and their scope
3. To map locations with high concentration of IDPs
4. To contribute to the process of defining strategic solutions for IDPs.
The analysis of the IDPs considers:
- The main socio-demographic characteristics of households
- Position of IDPs in the labour market
- Financial situation
- Living conditions of IDPs and their property in Kosovo
- Social care
- Social inclusion and
- Expressed willingness to return.
Observations/Conclusions about the IDPs in Serbia include, inter alia:
a) Approximately 22,886 households or 97,286 IDPs in need live in Serbia. The majority is settled in urban areas, western Serbia and Sumadija; majority of extremely vulnerable Roma IDPs are located in Vojvodina where they make up nearly half of all IDP population.
b) IDP households in need are concentrated in Belgrade (21.9%) and Kragujevac (11,6%), followed by Novi Sad (9%) and Niš (8.2%). Serbs are in majority, followed by Roma.
c) 74.5% of the Roma IDP population are in need, in comparison to 41.7% of non-Roma IDPs.
d) Unemployment among IDPs in need is 39%; unemployment among the general population is 19.2%.The majority of the IDP households in need (74.3%%) survive on an income of less than RSD 20,000 (approx EUR 200) per month. Average size of household in need is 4.42.
e) Housing is the main need for IDPs, with 94% of all IDPs in need expressing this.
f) 49% of the IDPs in need own an apartment/house in Kosovo; most of their property is destroyed or occupied.
g) 24.1% of IDPs in need suffer from chronic diseases, while 8.5% could be classified as disabled.
h) 8% of IDPs lack basic documents (identity card and birth certificate). This percentage is much higher among the Roma (17.6) than among the non-Roma (5.5%).
i) Comparing to the previous research, a significantly smaller percentage (20%) of IDPs expressed a willingness to return to Kosovo (in our experience, about 30-40% of those expressing a desire to return are genuinely interested in return). In previous studies, more than 50% of IDPs expressed a desire to return to Kosovo. Very few Roma expressed an interest to return to Kosovo (8.8%).
