Addressing Root Causes

The ARC Fund is aimed at tackling the root causes of armed conflict, instability and irregular migration and is open to applications from Dutch, international and local NGOs for the following countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

More and more people leave their homes, because of armed conflict, threats, prosecution or a lack of prospect in their own country. Globally, one in every 122 people is currently internally displaced, a refugee or an asylum seeker. The majority of them find safe refuge in a neighbouring country, but growing numbers of refugees and migrants find their way to Europe as well.

Many neighbouring countries that currently receive large numbers of migrants and refugees increasingly have to deal with the negative consequences. Public services cannot keep up with the rise in demand; economic growth comes to a standstill, unemployment rises and tensions in society increase. Many people, who can afford it, travel on to i.a. Europe in search for a better future elsewhere.

To be able to provide people with a safe haven and positive prospects for the future in their own country, and to decrease the pressure on overburdened receiving countries, it is essential to work on decreasing the socio-economic and political root causes of these large flows of people.