IN AFRICA II. The strategic framework for managing migration MIGRATION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA ii. Governments should prevent conditions on their territory that may lead to displacement, including by protecting human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as developing early warning and rapid response mechanisms to protect populations under threat. iii. States are encouraged to incorporate into national legislative and policy frameworks, measures pertaining to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, as defined in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, their two Additional Protocols of 1977 and, the tenets of the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. iv. Enable relief consignments of a humanitarian and impartial nature to reach civilian populations in need and safeguard the security of aid agency personnel. v. Ensure access to IDPs in highly insecure areas, for example by means of humanitarian corridors. vi. Protection measures, including the provision of services, need to be gender-responsive and culturally appropriate, including in relation to hygiene and sanitation and livelihood strategies. Women and girls are at particular high risk of sexual and gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation. vii. Promote livelihoods and resilience activities for IDPs. viii. Introduce alternatives to the encampment of IDPs in order to promote their active participation and integration into their host communities. 6.3 Protracted displacement Protracted displacement situations present particular challenges for African States which host large numbers of refugees and other displaced persons who have been unable to return to their home countries for long periods of time. Situations of displacement become protracted when the causes of displacement are not addressed or remain unresolved, for instance in conflict situations where continuing conditions of insecurity prevent refugees from returning home. Protracted displacement situations have adverse consequences for the lives of refugees and IDPs who are at risk of suffering material, social and cultural deprivation in camp settings for prolonged periods of time. A persisting problem in this context is the vulnerability of refugees to harassment and/or recruitment by armed elements. Women and girls are at particular high risk of sexual and gender-based violence, abuse and exploitations. Moreover, the protracted presence of large numbers of displaced persons can lead to tensions with local host communities, competition for scarce resources, environmental degradation, xenophobia, and ultimately constitute a source of conflict itself. Recent efforts to address protracted displacement situations reflected in UNHCR’s Agenda for Protection and elsewhere have emphasised the notion that durable solutions necessitate more equitable burden sharing among States, such as for instance the linkage of refugee issues to national, regional and multilateral development assistance initiatives. 61