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

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The World Food Programme’s school feeding programme and UNHCR’s school construction programme in Iran help refugee children remain in school and aspire to fulfil their dreams. Investing in refugees’ education and ensuring that refugee children and youth have a chance to flourish, will pay dividends for future peace and security. Nazanin, 11, lives with her mother and eight brothers in a small house in Saveh refugee settlement, in Iran’s central Markazi province. The family fled Afghanistan in 1985 and have been living in Iran since. Nazanin’s mother struggles to support her children’s education after the death of her husband, the family’s sole breadwinner, last year. Nazanin and four of her brothers receive their school feeding items every day.

Applications for European Microfinance Award 2022: Does your organization work in financial inclusion, understand and meet women’s challenges and aspirations and does it go beyond traditional gender outreach strategies? If so, you can apply for the 2022 European Microfinance Award, this year focusing on "Financial inclusion that works for women". Click here to find out more: https://www.european-microfinance-award.com/

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.