Photographer: Tatiana Larissa Agostinho Daniel

File name: 198A2551-2.jpg

File size: 10.3 MB

Dimensions: 5193 x 3487

Credit: IOM 2023 / Amanda Nero

Copyright notice: © International Organization for Migration 2023

Date created: 15/06/2023 10:36:16

Description: IOM's Energy ambassador engaging with the community.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with NORCAP and with support from Innovation Norway, have embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to establish a sustainable market for clean energy in displacement settings in Mozambique. This transformative project seeks to address the barriers hindering access to essential energy services for displaced populations while also tackling obstacles faced by private actors in entering this overlooked market. In areas where people have been forced to leave their homes, the lack of access to electricity and to alternative to traditional cooking fuel, significantly affects the lives of internally displaced persons (IDPs), leading to increased hardship and risks of gender-based violence. The scarcity of traditional cooking fuel forces women to travel long distances to collect firewood, increasing the risks of assault. In addition, inadequate lighting around the area where IDPs live, makes people feel unsafe at night to walk around and use community services, such as markets and communal latrines. This situation poses a threat to the environmental ecosystem and can also lead to strained relationships with host communities due to increased competition for limited resources and a perceived burden on local infrastructure and services. Despite the humanitarian sector's recognition of sustainable energy access as a priority, according to the State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector Report (2022) approximately 94% of displaced individuals in camps worldwide still lack access to electricity, and 81% rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking. Additionally, basic energy products and services are often provided through humanitarian assistance, potentially disrupting local economies. Economic barriers have historically hindered displaced populations and host communities from accessing the necessary energy services and perceived risks have discouraged private actors from entering this market and providing viable solutions. This initiative strives to create an enabling environment that allows all stakeholders to actively participate in building a sustainable marketplace for cleaner energy solutions. In 2022, the project initiated its pilot phase, engaging end users through energy, market, and financial assessments. Co-design workshops with IDPs gathered insights and aspirations, resulting in tailored solutions for the five IDP resettlement sites in Sofala Province, Mozambique, housing around 10,000 individuals. To further disseminate information about the project, IOM organized two online Market Dialogue sessions with different stakeholders, including the private sector, for an open exchange of ideas and identification of recurrent challenges in the energy sector. Insights from these sessions formed the basis for a call for proposals for innovative partnerships, inviting potential partners to submit proposals addressing the multi-dimensional challenge of energy access in the resettlement sites.