In order to assist more internally displaced people better the UN, the Danish Refugee Council and the Norwegian Refugee Council have in close collaboration worked towards collecting knowledge and methods on IDP profiling. The effort has now resulted in the Joint Inter-Agency Profiling Service.

26 million people are today living as internally displaced persons (IDPs). While the number refugees, who have crossed the border to a new country, is declining, the number of IDPs is constantly rising. This has led to a need for a strengthened strategic focus on IDP protection, including IDP profiling as a way to collect information on IDPs.

To meet this need UNHCR, UNFPA, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) have for several years been working towards a common humanitarian service for IDP profiling. The efforts have resulted in the Joint Inter-Agency Profiling Service (JIPS), which is hosted by UNHCR Geneva and resourced and supervised by the founding members.

 “An effective humanitarian response needs reliable population data for planning and programming of advocacy, , protection and assistance” explains Kathrine Starup, policy advisor at DRC. “Thus better data and information, throughIDP profiling, equals better assistance and support for the growing number of IDPs worldwide.”

The aim of the JIPS is to assist humanitarian agencies (NGOs, UN and IGOs) to obtain, maintain and update reliable data on internally displaced persons, including undertaking profiling exercises and setting of profiling systems. During years of preparation, the founding members have for example worked to develop and test a guidance on IDP profiling and an IDP profiling toolbox.

“We have developed methods and collected recommendations on do’s and don’ts in IDP profiling, including how to  access and work with   displaced communities as well as  keep an open line to the responsible authorities, which is absolutely necessary if you want to assist in an IDP emergency,” says Kathrine Starup.

The JIPS is accessible to all humanitarian actors involved in profiling exercises. The services offered range from discussions about approach and methodologies over the mail, training on profiling related issues including coordination and data management security, to actual support missions.

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