In March 2020, IOM commissioned Itad to undertake an impact evaluation (IMPACT) of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative Programme for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa (HoA) region (hereafter referred to as ‘JI-HoA’). The IMPACT study focuses on Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia – the three countries with the largest returnee reintegration caseload in the programme. This natural experiment-based evaluation (hereafter referred to as C-19 NE) is a component of IMPACT.

IMPACT Study Report #2 - COVID-19, Returnees and IOM in the Horn of Africa: A Natural Experiment-based Evaluation focuses on a natural experiment-based evaluation to better examine the effects of the pandemic and other shocks on the wellbeing of returnees. The C-19 NE uses survey data from questionnaire responses to evaluate how the JI-HoA programme was, or was not, effective in supporting returnees’ resilience to the COVID-linked shocks – providing lessons on adaptation to future shocks.