UNHCR and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 03 February 2020, with the overall goal of ensuring refugees and other forcibly displaced can access vaccines on par with nationals. The MoU also looks at expanding coverage and quality of immunization services, promoting equity in access and uptake of vaccines, and strengthening health systems at community and primary care level.

The IKEA Foundation awards €30 million grant to the International Rescue Committee to support livelihoods development for urban refugees in East Africa. Today, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is announcing a new initiative with the IKEA Foundation in the form of a five-year, €30 million partnership focused on transforming livelihoods opportunities for urban refugees in East Africa. The large-scale initiative, called Refugees in East Africa: Boosting Urban Innovations for Livelihoods Development (Re:Build), will provide employment support to 20,000 refugees and other local community members living in Nairobi, Kenya and Kampala, Uganda. East Africa hosts more than five million refugees from within and outside the region, with many living within rapidly growing cities such as Nairobi and Kampala. High levels of unemployment, lack of documentation and access to financial services, and skills and language gaps restrict livelihoods opportunities for this population, often forcing them to seek informal work and resort to lower wages and unsafe working conditions. With COVID-19 and the effects of climate change, these challenges have only been further compounded. Working with a diverse group of partners, Re:Build will build upon cutting-edge research to create opportunities for refugees and other local community members to start and grow businesses, find employment, and receive increased access to financial services. To achieve this, Re:Build will offer apprenticeships, business grants, mentorships, skills training and certification, and more. Through this inclusive, community-driven approach, Re:Build aims to serve as a model for future livelihoods efforts throughout East Africa and beyond. The IRC will partner with the Center for Global Development for the program’s research and advocacy work as well as to share key learnings. The program will also work closely with local and regional-based private partners, civil society organizations, city authorities, and refugee and community-led organizations to create lasting and meaningful change.

Despite an estimated 1.44 million refugees in urgent need of resettlement globally, less than 23,000 were resettled through UNHCR last year. These are the lowest refugee resettlement numbers UNHCR has witnessed in almost two decades. The drop stems from low quotas put forward by states, as well as the impact of COVID-19, which delayed departures and programmes.

Burkina Faso: Climate change and conflict pursue displaced Burkinabes https://www.unhcr.org/news/stories/2021/1/600e86334/climate-change-conflict-pursue-displaced-burkinabes.html

In the EHAGL Region, UNHCR and the WB have been collaborating to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on refugees using high-frequency phone surveys. Since May 2020, refugees have been included into the national socio-economic impact of COVID high frequency phone surveys led by the National Statistics Offices of the respective countries and the World Bank. These surveys will yield over 10,000 refugee households observations including two waves of data collection in Ethiopia (Sep-Oct), two waves in Kenya (May-Jun and Jul-Sep) and one wave in Uganda (Oct-Dec), one wave in Djibouti (Dec- Jan 21). The results from the Kenya high-frequency phone surveys show that COVID-related Job loss and unemployment have also affected Refugee households. Prior to COVID-19 outbreak in Kenya, there was a high level of unemployment among refugees. Due to the pandemic, the level of unemployment has significantly increased, with only about 8% of urban refugees and 23% of camp-based refugees reported having a job versus 53% for nationals. As the result, Refugee households are resorting to negative coping strategies. About 17% of urban refugees reported selling assets to generate income.

Sahel internal displacement tops 2 million as violence surges Grim milestone reached in world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis as fighting uproots 11,400 within Burkina Faso. https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2021/1/600a85bd4/sahel-internal-displacement-tops-2-million-violence-surges.html

On 14 January 2021, Jordan has become one of the world’s first countries to start COVID-19 vaccinations for refugees, and UNHCR has been working with the Jordanian government to vaccinate refugees and provide critical health, sanitation, hygiene and logistical support as well as personal protective equipment. UNHCR appeals to all countries to follow suit and include refugees in their national vaccination drives in line with COVAX allocation principles.

Roya, 20, an Afghan refugee, works in a tailoring workshop in Sarvestan refugee settlement, in Iran’s southern Fars province, along with around 50 other refugee women. The workshop was established by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and later expanded by the World Food Programme (WFP). It switched its production line at the start of the pandemic to make hygiene masks, in an example of refugees’ direct involvement in the fight against COVID-19, but also of their effort to safeguard their monthly income. Since February 2020, when the first COVID-19 cases were officially recorded in Iran, Roya and her fellow refugee tailors have produced more than 10,000 masks per day, which are delivered to health and humanitarian service providers across the country.

Pakistan: Islamabad: In order to respond to the urgent needs of refugees in Pakistan, UNHCR is providing a four-month cash grant to the most vulnerable refugee families who are greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the programme, UNHCR is providing Rs.12,000 one-time cash assistance to the refugees across the country. Some 80,000 of the most vulnerable refugee families are being targeted for this support at this time. Over 75,000 refugee families have already received the cash assistance.

Pakistan: Islamabad: In the month of November, UNHCR Director for Regional Bureau of Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Indrika Ratwatte, visited Pakistan. Mr. Ratwatte, paid a courtesy call to Foreign Secretary, Mr. Sohail Mahmood, Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador (R) Mohammad Sadiq, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Mr. Najibullah Alikhil, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Mr. Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan during his visit. Mr. Ratwatte, met with the Country Director of the World Bank, Ambassador of Germany and Switzerland, and the representatives of various key donors.