UNHCR, NGOs pledge more collaboration to achieve durable solutions for the forcibly displaced in East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes
UNHCR, NGOs pledge more collaboration to achieve durable solutions for the forcibly displaced in East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes
Mukley, from South Sudan, sorts out green maize she harvested from her piece of land in Nguenyyiel refugee camp, Gambella in Ethiopia.
Today, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with NGOs and civil society organizations in the East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region recommitted to enhanced collaboration to achieve durable solutions for people forced to flee. In the just-concluded second biannual UNHCR-NGO Regional Consultations held on 13-15 June 2023, participants, including national and refugee-led organizations from across the region, deliberated on progress made so far and potential opportunities in realizing solutions as well as how meaningful inclusion for displaced populations can be further strengthened. Central to the discussions was how partnerships with key actors including refugees and other displaced people can be deepened to further advance the search for solutions out of displacement and statelessness.
“Whether in a global pandemic or conflict that forces people to seek safety in neighboring countries, we have seen how organizations led by the displaced including refugees themselves as well as local NGOs have remained on the frontlines to support the most vulnerable. Yet their efforts are often limited by insufficient support,” said UNHCR’s Deputy Regional Bureau Director Kristine Hambrouk. “Through these consultations, we hope to identify ways to better reinforce capacities, resources and partnerships with organizations including those led by the forcibly displaced and stateless persons to respond to rising needs and work towards solutions,” added Hambrouk.
One of the key objectives of the consultations was to develop specific recommendations that UNHCR, NGOs and other stakeholders can jointly undertake to promote solutions, inclusion and livelihoods for displaced populations in the region. Other topics that were also discussed were the impact of climate change on displacement and gender equality.
“These consultations are a welcome platform to have frank and constructive exchanges between all of us, to influence policy with the aim of enabling us to work better individually and jointly with the people we serve, for greater good,” said International Council of Voluntary Agencies’ Regional Representative for Africa Addis Tesfa. “Being close to people forced to flee means we can bring the daily realities of delivering assistance and solutions to these communities and in turn make what we do more responsive and impactful,” said Tesfa.
Refugees often face numerous challenges to meaningfully participate in and contribute to the growth of local economies in the countries that host them. Refugee led organizations play a crucial role in ensuring that the forcibly displaced are actively engaged in determining what support they need to thrive economically.
“Starting from the first phase of the development of projects to their closure, it is crucial and necessary for refugees themselves to be part discussions related to them, so that they can also provide their input and articulate their needs and priorities,” said The Initiative for Nurturing Vulnerable & Empowerment for Resilience (INVER)’s Executive Director Amin Bolis. “Incorporating refugee ideas and thoughts into decision-making processes, programs and projects, helps refugees take a more participative role and builds ownership,” added Bolis.
This year’s regional consultations come at a time when the region is experiencing ongoing multiple and complex crises such as the Sudan crisis and the Horn of Africa drought. At the same time, the region hosts some of the largest displaced populations, currently home to over 5 million refugees and asylum-seekers and nearly 12 million internally displaced people.
Recommendations from the discussions will be presented at the Global Refugee Forum in December 2023 and inform and support the global NGO consultations in Geneva in June 2024. The first UNHCR-NGO Regional Consultations were held in July 2021, focused on the localization of humanitarian action and the socio-economic inclusion of refugees in the context of Covid-19.
More information on this year’s event can be found here.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
In Nairobi (regional) Faith Kasina, [email protected], +254 113 427 094
