A call for abstracts for a forthcoming volume on urban/peri-urban agriculture (UPA) and forced displacement, planned for the Urban Agriculture Book Series at Springer. The book will be the first of its kind to examine the role of UPA in situations of forced displacement, using historical and contemporary case studies from around the world that cover displacement camps, refugee and host community settlements, and urban areas. Given the significant potential of mainstreaming UPA into humanitarian and development efforts, it aims to support the wider and more effective use of UPA in planning, programming, and policy. Deadline is past but still considering abstracts that are submitted or send them directly to Mary Njenga email: m.njenga@cgiar.org

97 Congolese refugees (32 households) were repatriated from Mantapala settlement to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the first week of January, In January, WFP distributed cash for food assistance, under the Cash-based Transfer (CBT) programme, to 16,965 refugees (8,309 men and 8,656 women) in Mantapala settlement. UNHCR’s livelihoods partner, Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) commenced the distribution of agricultural tools to 526 families out of the targeted 672 families in Meheba refugee settlement. received the tools. .

Nat Geo: Historic drought looms for 20 million living in Horn of Africa: The climatic phenomenon known as La Niña is preventing nourishing rains for the fourth season in a row, putting East Africa on the “brink of catastrophe.” As many as 20 million people in four African countries are facing extreme hardship and food shortages as an exceptionally long and severe drought grips the eastern Horn of Africa. Three rainy seasons in a row have failed to materialize. Now scientists and relief agencies fear that the next forecast one—scheduled to bring rain to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia this month—will follow suit. Read more here: https://rb.gy/rt7s53

UNHCR launches the “cross-border livelihoods working group” between Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda on Wednesday, 16th March 2022. This new platform will focus on Burundi returnees with the view to enhancing better understanding of livelihood opportunities in areas of return, facilitate better sharing of labour market information to inform programmes design as well as leverage on skills acquired in countries of asylum (CoA) to strengthen sustainable re-integration. For further details, please reach out to: Opio Peter Patrick, Livelihood & Economic Inclusion Officer, UNHCR Kigoma, Tanzania at opiop@unhcr.org and Ndeye Penda Ndiaye, Reintegration Officer, UNHCR Bujumbura, Burundi at ndiayen@unhcr.org.

On 07/03, the WBG President David Malpass delivered a speech at the “Fragility Forum 2022: Development and Peace in Uncertain Times”, expressing concerns that since the last Forum two years ago, fragility, conflict-related fatalities and social unrest have increased dramatically. The WBG estimate that 23 countries – with a combined of 850 million people – currently face high- or medium-intensity conflict. The number of “conflict countries” has doubled over the past decades. Conflict, fragility and violence also threatens efforts to end extreme poverty. Over 300 million people in these settings experienced acute food insecurity in 2021. President Malpass raised concerns about the new acute and destabilizing political crises, including coups d’états. He emphasized that a reduction in tensions requires stricter regulation of international security contractors. Focused international agreement should bolster human and economic development in fragile and conflict-affected situations, providing them with access to affordable medicines and basic services. President Malpass warned that macroeconomic response to inflation should avoid taking the developing world into a new phase of economic turbulence. He suggested that workable mechanisms be adopted to restructure the debts of the poorest countries.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announces the publication of People Forced to Flee: History, Change and Challenge. People Forced to Flee draws on the lessons of history to probe how we can improve responses to forced displacement. Tracing the roots of asylum from early history to contemporary times, the book shows how the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees turned the centuries-old ideals of safety and solutions for refugees into global practice. It highlights the major achievements in protecting people forced to flee since then, while exploring serious setbacks along the way. Published at a time when over 84 million people in the world are forcibly displaced, it examines international responses to forced displacement within borders as well as beyond them, and the principles of protection that apply to both: reviewing where they have been used with consistency and success, and where they have not. At times, the strength and resolve of the international community seems strong, yet solutions and meaningful solidarity are often elusive.

In February 2022, Ecuador continued to witness the displacement of refugees and migrants across its territory, with people either remaining in main cities or transiting bound south and north. With southern borders with Peru reopened in February and the announcement of northern borders reopening in March after almost two years, population movements are expected to progressively increase. While people can now exchange commercial goods and to travel across borders, visa restrictions and vaccination requirements continue to compel refugees and migrants to use irregular crossing routes. Winter rains continued to cause damage across the country with several highways linking highlands with coastal areas closed. Vehicle circulation was restricted to schedules, also affecting UNHCR missions. Moreover, worsening security conditions in several parts of the country are affecting refugees and locals alike, with UNHCR and local authorities coordinating to facilitate access to protection mechanisms.

UNCDF Launches its Strategic Framework 2022 - 2025: Under this Strategic Framework, UNCDF will realize its full potential as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution by fulfilling its overall financing mandate with capital deployment, financial advisory services and capital catalysation. This will be matched with expertise across thematic areas of development—promoting inclusive digital economies and partnering for local transformative finance—alongside deepened engagement in three interlocking development areas: women’s economic empowerment, sustainable food systems finance, and climate, clean energy, and biodiversity finance. https://www.uncdf.org/article/7489/uncdf-strategic-framework-2022-2025-illustrated-version

ILO - UPSHIFT to elevate youth in Uganda with skills and social entrepreneurship: In Nakivale refugee settlement in south-west Uganda, the air of excitement among local youth blew like a fresh breeze. After two long and difficult years of COVID-19, they were attending the launch of “UPSHIFT”, a social innovation and entrepreneurship programme of the ILO and UNICEF being implemented by local partner “Unleashed”.

Ecuador has been at the centre of multiple and overlapping population displacements for over the past decades. To date, nearly 600.000 people who have fled their homes found a place to rebuild a life in safety while thousands more transit elsewhere, every year. Both a place of transit and destination, Ecuador starts 2022 leading the list of countries hosting the largest recognized refugee population in Latin America and the Caribbean, with over 72.000 currently registered by the Government. Ecuador is also one of the top three countries in the region hosting Venezuelan refugees and migrants. Since many of Venezuelans and other nationalities are in an irregular situation, the new regularization process announced by the Government mid-2021 is a reason for hopes. A regular status will improve their precarious protection situation while providing them with the opportunity of contributing positively to Ecuador – specially to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 started with significant increase in COVID-19 infections attributed to the Omicron variant. 13.3 million people had received two doses of the vaccine by the end of the month (75 per cent). By end of 2021, at least 300.000 refugees and migrants had been vaccinated, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the virus. In January 2022, between 700 and 800 Venezuelans entered and departed across northern and southern borders every day, while around 70 Haitians transited north daily from Ecuador into Colombia2. Moreover, some 130 Colombians have been registered with the government as in need of protection, however Colombians seeking access to asylum could be higher with many people reporting barriers in accessing on-line asylum procedures. UNHCR maintains presence across the country and in border areas to monitor needs, provide assistance and facilitate access to the asylum procedure, while helping strengthen government efforts to provide international protection.