A monitoring, technical inspection and community consultation exercise has been conducted on three prototype housing units constructed in Aysaita Refugee Camp in the Afar Regional State.
The initiative forms part of the UNHCR-funded “Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion and Sustainable Housing Support Project” implemented by the Organization for Sustainable Development (OSD), in collaboration with key government and development partners.
The monitoring exercise focused on technical inspection of completed housing units, assessing their structural quality, construction standards and compliance with the intended design.
A formal handover process was then conducted to selected, vulnerable refugee households identified by RRS and UNHCR, with participation from relevant stakeholders including the Aysaita Town Administration.
The exercise was followed by community consultations, bringing together refugee representatives, local authorities, partners and technical experts, where participants provided feedback on design suitability, construction materials and cultural appropriateness of the housing model.
This initiative contributes to the Government of Ethiopia’s 2023 Global Refugee Forum (GRF) pledge to progressively transform refugee camps into integrated human settlements through an urbanization and area-based development approach.
In this context, the Aysaita Inclusion Roadmap is currently under development and will be finalized shortly to guide coordinated implementation and transition efforts in the area.
RRS is thankful to Afar Regional State and Aysaita Town Administration and participating partners, including UNHCR, UN-Habitat, GIZ, Semera University and OSD for their meaningful contribution.
The refugee communities who actively engaged in inspections, discussions and consultations are also worth thanking as their perspectives remain central to ensuring that housing solutions are practical, dignified and culturally appropriate.
