President's Annual Greeting Ceremony with Diplomats: Zambia’s President, His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu, today held the Annual Greeting Ceremony with diplomats accredited to Zambia at State House in Lusaka. The UNHCR Representative, Ms Pierrine aylara, was in attendance. The President mentioned a number of things/initiatives embarked upon by his Government last year, and outlined some of his Government’s vision for 2018, with regard to enhancing economic and foreign relations. During his presentation, the President committed a good portion of it talking about refugees and the need for the international community to support the refugee cause, especially the Congolese emergency.

A total of 13,332 refugees received non-medical face masks in the three refugee settlements during the month of July 2021.

In July 2021, a total of 38 beneficiaries (8 Zambians, 23 refugees and 7 former refugees) in Meheba refugee settlement received training in Systems of Rice Intensification.

From 1 January to 31 July 2021, 100 cases comprising 385 individuals were submitted to resettlement countries. A total of 259 individuals have departed on resettlement to Sweden, Canada, Finland, Netherlands and the USA.

At the end of September, UNHCR had submitted 163 cases comprising 624 refugees for resettlement consideration. Most of the cases were submitted to the Nordic countries. A total of 5,231 people of concern (PoCs) have had access to COVID-19 testing in Zambia. Some 254 refugee business holders benefited from Cash-based Intervention (CBI) for livelihoods amounting to over US$ 58,000 in September.

Over a period of three weeks, from 21 December 2021, a total of 300 Congolese were repatriated from Zambia’s Mantapala settlement IN Luapula Province to Pweto, Haute Kantanga, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The 300 were repatriated in weekly convoys of 100 individuals.

A total of 2,159 individuals in 557 families were assisted to voluntarily repatriate to DRC in September. Cumulatively, 5,807 individuals in 1,653 families had repatriated since the start of the second phase of the voluntary repatriation on 18 July 2022.

A total of 441 individuals comprising 114 families were assisted to voluntarily repatriate to the DRC in January. This brings the total number of refugees repatriated to 10,553 individuals in 2,836 families since the second phase of the voluntary repatriation programme started on 18 July 2022. 157 individuals departed under resettlement during the month of January USA: (35) and Finland (122). Eight cases comprising 26 individuals were submitted for resettlement consideration to the USA (19), Finland (7). A total of 513 people we serve (PWS) accessed Covid-19 testing services in the three refugee settlements, bringing the cumulative figure to 13,552. The number of positive cases recorded during the reporting month was 10 people we serve (PWS).

A total of 10,851 individuals (2,922 families) voluntarily repatriated to the Democratic Republic of Congo between December 2021, when the first phase of the repatriation began and January 2023. The 3rd Phase of the Congolese repatriation is planned to commence in October 2023. Between 1 January and 30 September 2023, a total of 9,931 individuals were registered in the database. These comprised birth registrations, new arrivals and in-situ registrations. Of the 9,931, some 4,901 were new arrivals, with the majority from the DRC. From 1 January to 30 September 2023, some 2,409 individuals have cumulatively been submitted to various resettlement countries for resettlement consideration. 750 individuals have departed on resettlement so far this year to different countries. KEY INDICATORS 2,015 refugees were submitted to the USA as of 30 September 2023. 673 individuals departed on resettlement to various countries between 1 January and 30 September 2023. 67,197 individuals received treatment and care from the 10 settlement health facilities from 1 January to 30 September 2023. 13,096 are enrolled in schools across the three refugee settlements in Zambia, with 13% being from the host community. MAIN ACTIVITIES UNHCR and its partners support the Government to provide legal and community-based protection and social support. These interventions reached 19,817 persons in Lusaka and other urban areas, 39,838 people in the Meheba refugee settlement and 24,252 persons in the Mayukwayukwa refugee settlement in the North-Western and Western Provinces, respectively, and 8,138 persons in Mantapala settlement in Luapula Province are supported. Financial Information Contributions for the Zambia refugee operation (in US$) Total UNHCR financial requirements in 2023 for Zambia amount to US$ 25.5 million. Total recorded contributions for the UNHCR operation in Zambia as of 30 September 2023 amount to US$7,554,129 (70% funding gap). UNHCR is grateful to all donors for their continuous support. UNHCR is also grateful for unearmarked contributions made at the global level, which allow UNHCR critical flexibility to reach people in the greatest need and at the greatest risk.

• 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.