“It’s Better to Sweat than to Die:” Rural-to-Urban Migration, Northern Karamoja, Uganda

rural-urban migration

Much of the literature on urbanization focuses on migration to large cities. In contrast, this report traces the process, challenges, and opportunities of rural-urban migration to towns and small cities in northern Karamoja, namely Abim, Kaabong and Kotido. The research aimed to better understand how and why men and women moved to the urban areas and to document their livelihood strategies and aspirations after migration. The findings highlight the increasing importance of urban centers in household livelihood diversification in the region, but also show that maintaining ties to rural areas is a key strategy for migrants. Strong rural-urban ties enabled respondents and their rural household members or relatives to balance risk and effectively manage assets. Those respondents who lacked rural ties were the most vulnerable members of the study population. These were overwhelmingly widowed or abandoned women. The report ends with recommendations for national and international actors working in the Karamoja region.

ASSOCIATED PROJECT

SUBJECTS

PUBLICATION TYPE

LOCATION

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Brief cover thumbnail

This learning brief presents preliminary findings on strategic mobility and its nutritional benefits to pastoral and agropastoral communities in select sites in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, Kenya.

Image of Brief Cover: Actingin in Advance of Flooding

In 2022 UN OCHA led a pilot anticipatory action intervention in South Sudan. This brief presents UN actors’ perceptions of this intervention.

Cover of Report "Sex, age (and more) still matter"

This report reviews progress, outlines barriers to further progress, and makes recommendations to advance gender equality in the humanitarian system.

Thumbnail of Famine Prevention Report Cover

This study reviews what we have learned regarding policies and interventions to prevent famine, and how these can be scaled up more rapidly.

Disaster Risk Finance (DRF) mechanisms are relatively new in anticipatory action. This paper explores how DRF can affect individual behavior or risk perception.

cover of Trauma Informed Anticipatory Action Brief

This brief builds on the existing body of knowledge on trauma-informed practice to explore ways that anticipatory action for displaced populations can be improved.

Load more