The Borderlands Working Group (BWG) is inviting new members. It is a forum that brings together agencies looking to influence discourse on cross-border and borderlands issues in East Africa. It aims to promote a more community-centered approach to policy and practice in borderlands. At the core of the BWG is the idea that for border policy and development practices to be more inclusive and sustainable they need to be built with knowledge of the needs, interests and aspirations of the communities living in these borderlands areas. The group has three pillars: research & dissemination, coordination, policy dialogue Borderlands WG coordinator: Mercy Njai mercy.njai@drc.ngo

Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) partners have provided 3.9 million people in Sudan with food and livelihood assistance from January-March 2022, according to the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) 2022 Periodic Monitoring Report. This includes 3.2 million people who were reached with food assistance and another 700,000 people with livelihood support. The food assistance was provided in all HRP priority localities. Full document: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-food-security-livelihoods-response-january-march-2022

Turning trash into clean fuel, refugees aid environment in South Sudan: Refugee women and their host community in Maban county, South Sudan, are turning agricultural waste into clean-burning briquettes in a pilot project that saves trees. The pilot project began in February 2022 in a collaboration between UNHCR and Relief International, who together launched a briquette production and marketing project for both women refugees and their hosts in Maban county to give them a clean and sustainable alternative fuel source to firewood. Read more about this initiative here: https://www.unhcr.org/afr/news/stories/2022/5/6284c4a94/turning-trash-into-clean-fuel-refugees-aid-environment-in-south-sudan.html

Smart Communities Coalition Innovation Fund (SCCIF) – Second Call for Proposals! Following the first successful call for proposals, the SCCIF is launching a second call for proposals focusing on the nexus of modern energy services with connectivity and digital tools (or both) for refugee-hosting areas in Uganda. Ideas for new nexus projects as well as the addition of a connectivity or digital tools component to an existing energy project or business are welcome. See more details on this call here: https://www.usaid.gov/powerafrica/sccif

Refugee law and how it can be used to create jobs for all: Amahoro’s co-founder, Isaac Kwaku Fokuo Jr, analyzed the potential of Kenya’s recently operationalised Refugee Act (2021). He articulates the endless benefits of providing and promoting access to work and livelihood opportunities for over 500,00 refugees currently living in Kenya. Read the article here: https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/refugee-law-and-how-it-can-be-used-to-create-jobs-for-all-3815770 see also reel on how to apply for a Class M permit in Kenya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgw4iOATjZg

The IFC announces the winners of a business competition managed by IFC and AECF to support development, job creation, and opportunity in Kenya's Kakuma-Kalobeyei refugee-hosting area: https://pressroom.ifc.org/all/pages/PressDetail.aspx?ID=26968

IN FEBRUARY 2022 UNHCR referred 197 refugees for resettlement to Sweden. The Office also facilitated the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and Resettlement Support Center Circuit Rides to process 837 and 392 refugees respectively. 1,080 refugee households (4,377 individuals) from the DRC in Mantapala settlement have expressed intention to return. Some 263 households are ready to return immediately when voluntary repatriation will reassume. A total of 9,701 (M:4,264; F:5437) out patient department (OPD) consultations were made in urban areas and in the three refugee settlements with 22% (2,095) being members of the host community.

WB – Adjustment to Global Poverty Lines: On 02/05, the WB announced that as of fall 2022, the new global poverty line will be updated to $2.15 using 2017 prices. This means that anyone living on less than $2.15 a day is considered to be living in extreme poverty. Since 2015, the last update, we have used $1.90 as the global line. The rise in the International Poverty Line reflects an increase in the costs of basic food, clothing and shelter needs in low-income countries between 2011 and 2017. In 2017, just under 700 million people were considered living in extreme poverty.

IMF – Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa: On 28/04, the IMF released the regional economic outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2021, estimated growth has been revised upward from 3.7 to 4.5%. This progress has been offset by recent events. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, economic activity is expected to slow to 3.8% in 2022. The shock to global commodity markets will add to inflation, hit the region’s most vulnerable households, exacerbate food insecurity, raise poverty rates and possible add to social tension. Looking beyond the current set of crises, decisive policy action is needed to enhance economic diversification, promote regional integration, unleash the private sector’s potential and address the challenges posed by climate change.

Consultancy to support refugees’ inclusion into NSSF ‘Haba Haba’ product for workers in the informal economy: The objective of this consultancy is to conduct an assessment of Haba Haba’s design and possibilities for inclusion of refugees. See more details here: https://reliefweb.int/job/3835552/consultancy-support-refugees-inclusion-nssf-haba-haba-product-workers-informal-economy