 By late 2017, more than 685,000 Congolese refugees sought international protection in neighbouring countries, including Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Rwanda, the Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, as well as in countries in Southern Africa and beyond. In 2018, the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) deteriorated, spreading to previously unaffected areas. Since August 30, 2017, Zambia received refugees fleeing conflict in Pweto and Moba areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who were first settled temporarily in Chiengi district.  By September 2017 the number of arrivals had exceeded 1,000 and Kenani transit centre in Nchelenge district was opened, to which all refugees were relocated. As the number of refugees increased to over 6,000, Kenani could no longer accommodate new arrivals.  Mantapala, approximately 36 km southeast of Nchelenge and spanning - 8,000 hectares, was opened in early 2018. All refugees residing at Kenani, were then relocated to the new settlement. Ever since the 2018 elections in DRC, arrivals have reduced to a steady trickle of refugees seeking international protection or family reunification.  During the emergency refugee operation, the Government of Zambia, through the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Home Affairs, collaborated closely with UNHCR, UN agencies and other partners. It coordinated and led the emergency response to address the most urgent protection needs of refugees such as food, shelter, water and sanitation, core relief items, and health services, and provided livelihood support and basic education for refugees to promote peaceful co-existence with local community and contribute to local economic development.  Today, the collaboration of Government with UNHCR, UN agencies and other partners is aimed at providing sustainable solutions for refugees and the host community, inculcating a sense of self-reliance and ownership in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP).  Considerable gains have been made regarding the construction of permanent infrastructure, the next focus will be to enhance the multi-stakeholder approach to equip structures such as health and education facilities to improve human potential and to support the inclusion of refugees in national systems in line with the Global Compact on Refugees of which the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) is apart.

• Zambia's Vice President led a delegation from the government to attend the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in Geneva, Switzerland. Upon departure in Lusaka, the Vice President said that Zambia will continue to shelter people seeking refuge from other countries due to conflicts, as mandated by the UN. Therefore, programmes such as the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva are important for the country to participate in. "As a country, we have hosted refugees for many years, and we will continue to provide shelter to those seeking protection from conflicts in our region," she said. The UNHCR Representative also attended the GRF in Geneva. While in Geneva, the Vice President will also take part in the celebration of the UN's 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Vice President's attendance at a UNHCR function is a significant political representation and commitment by the Government of Zambia to the Global Compact on Refugees.

• As of 31 January 2023, a total of 10,650 individuals (2,868 families) had cumulatively been repatriated since the second phase of the voluntary repatriation movements started in July 2022, and 10,851 individuals comprising 2,922 families since the first phase of the voluntary repatriation programme from Mantapala settlement started in December 2021.

• A meeting was organized on Tuesday, 5 December 2023, by the Zambia Civil Liberties Union (ZCLU), a local NGO, with Members of Parliament to discuss refugees and statelessness. Many MPs attended the session, asking several questions and expressing political concerns. Clarifications were provided to the concerns raised by the MPs. The UNHCR Representative, the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), and refugees attended the meeting. UNHCR, directly or through partners, will continue to engage different stakeholders to further the interest of the people we serve.