Most Refugees Live in Cities, Not Camps. Our Response Needs to Shift: For refugees, urban areas offer economic opportunity, the promise of self-reliance, and the ability to exercise choice as to where and how to live. However far less investment goes towards supporting urban refugees than those in camps. The international community has been slow to understand the different needs of urban- and camp-based displaced people. Despite commitments in the 2018 Global Compact for Refugees, few donors directly support city authorities and urban communities that host refugees. The upcoming High Level Officials Meeting is a new opportunity to mobilize additional investments. There is also a need to increase understanding of urban refugees’ needs – CGD and IRC with support from the IKEA Foundation are partnering on a five-year long initiative (Re:Build) in Kampala and Nairobi to fill this gap and develop livelihood opportunities for refugees. https://www.cgdev.org/blog/most-refugees-live-cities-not-camps-our-response-needs-shift

During the month of September 2021, a total of 626 new refugees were registered, bringing the number of People of Concern (PoCs) hosted by Zambia to 102,32 (72,075 Refugees, 5,479 asylum-seekers and 24,774 others of concern) as of 30 September 2021.

In terms of durable solutions, UNHCR submitted 163 cases comprising 624 refugees for resettlement consideration. Some 119 cases consisting of 401 individuals travelled to resettlement countries.

Some 131 business holders in Lusaka and the three refugee settlements directly benefited from Cash-based Intervention (CBI) for livelihoods amounting to US$ 58,211.09.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomed the generous contribution of EUR 1.5 million from the Government of Finland on 7 October 2021, in support of Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Finland’s contribution will help UNHCR pre-position Core Relief Items, hygiene kits and tents along border areas, to help Afghans who are recently fleeing conflict and discrimination in their country. In 2021 alone, UNHCR is directly aware of some 18,000 Afghans who newly arrived in Iran using irregular routes, although the total number that have entered the country is likely to be significantly higher. Since the beginning of the year, over 660,000 persons were newly displaced within Afghanistan itself.

Co-Impact Gender Fund grant applications are open! At the Generation Equality Forum in June 2021 Co-Impact announced the development of their second fund – the Gender Fund. This Fund commits to raise and grant US $1 billion over the next decade to advance gender equality and women’s leadership in the Global South. They are now inviting applicants to submit concept notes for the first round of grants made through this Fund. Their open call for applications will be running from 30 September until 20 December 2021. Please visit their webpage to learn more and to get guidance on concept note submission. https://www.co-impact.org/gender-fund-how-to-apply/

UNSSC has launched an exciting new course, Social Protection for Sustainable Development. The five-week online course will examine how the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals influence social protection systems and explore practical tools and approaches to improve political stability and bolster social protection efforts, both nationally and internationally. Participants will learn the "what," "why," and "how" of social protection principles, and identify steps to take in policy and political interventions to advocate for a universal and sustainable social protection system. https://www.unssc.org/courses/social-protection-sustainable-development-2/

Development in a Time of Upheaval – WBG President Remarks ahead of Annual Meetings Ahead of the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings, President David Malpass delivered a speech in Khartoum entitled “Development in a Time of Upheaval.” President Malpass is the first WBG President to visit Sudan in nearly 40 years. He commended civil and military authorities for their efforts in working together toward a better future. He recalled that development was dependent on peace and stability. During his speech, President Malpass noted that the world was going through a “troubling time of upheaval,” with a reversal in development and the poor being left behind in a “global tragedy of inequality”. He outlined four priorities to shorten the crisis, boost economic growth and resume development: promoting economic stability, leveraging the digital revolution, making development greener and more sustainable and investing in people. Read the full speech here and panel discussion here. Watch the full replay here: https://live.worldbank.org/david-malpass-speech-september-30

Meeting between IMF Managing Director and UNECA and African Ministers of Finance: On 30/9/21, the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva met with the African Ministers of Finance and representatives from the UN Economic Commission for Africa to discuss the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented recession in Africa in 2020. A slow recovery is projected for 2021 due to vaccine supply constraints and limited financial resources. She recalled that Africa will receive $33 billion of the recently approved $650 billion SDRs allocation. African policymakers’ expressed their strong interest in working with the IMF to channel SDR to long-term reforms, including on climate change and the health sector.

UNHCR distributed core relief items to 120 South Sudanese refugees newly relocated to Bele site, Haut-Uele Province.