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Number of results: 39

  • 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.
    highlight 18 Jan 2018 (6 years ago)
    Zambia
  • To date, a total of 3,053 Congolese refugees (1,078 households) have been relocated to Mantapala Refugee Settlement from Kenani Transit Centre. The most recent convoy was on Saturday 7 April 2018, with 303 individuals. The Government, through COR, has been leading the relocation exercises since they began earlier this year. As of now, all pregnant women and the chronically ill are not allowed to relocate due to the limited health services available in Mantapala Refugee Settlement and the harsh terrains that have to be crossed to get to the settlement. The poor state of the road between Nchelenge and Mantapala Refugee Settlement continues to be of concern to all stakeholders.
    highlight 16 Apr 2018 (5 years ago)
    Zambia / Zambia - Refugees
  • As of 31 May 2018, a total of 6,621 Congolese refugees (2,205 households) have been relocated to Mantapala Refugee Settlement from Kenani Transit Centre. Government, with support from UNHCR and IOM, expects the relocation exercise of the remaining 8,722 individuals to be completed by end of July 2018. The Government, through COR, has been leading the relocation exercises since they began earlier this year. The poor state of the road between Nchelenge and Mantapala Refugee Settlement continues to be of concern to all stakeholders.
    highlight 05 Jun 2018 (5 years ago)
    Zambia / Zambia - Refugees
  • The relocation of 10,337 Congolese refugees from Kenani Transit Centre to Mantapala Refugee Settlement in Nchelenge District, Luapula province has now been completed. The relocation to Mantapala Settlement was part of the joint effort of the Government, UNHCR and partners to consolidate the refugee operation and ensure that Congolese arrivals have a permanent home and are able to gradually build their resilience. The relocation of all refugees from Kenani Transit Centre does not mean that it will be closed. According to the Government counterpart, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), its assets – such as buildings - will be fenced to be further used as a transit centre in case of an influx from the DRC. Other important assets and infrastructure such as boreholes, a clinic, community schools, departure and food distribution points, will be continue to be used by the local community.
    highlight 16 Jul 2018 (5 years ago)
    Zambia / Zambia - Refugees
  •  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.
    highlight 09 Oct 2020 (3 years ago)
    Zambia
  • The Government of Zambia is leading and coordinating the refugee response in order to achieve its commitments towards the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Under the 2017 Refugee Act, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), within the Ministry of Home Affairs, is mandated to deal with refugee matters. Thus, in 2018 Zambia adopted the mainstreaming approach, which requires that all line ministries including the Ministries of Agriculture (MoA), Health, Education and Community Services contribute to key sectors under the COR. The coordination of different sectors and partners is managed through interagency meetings at district and country levels. This is further strengthened through sectoral and bilateral interactions with distinct stakeholders. UNHCR is the primary interlocutor and lead Agency for refugee matters among UN agencies. To respond to the ongoing Congolese refugee crisis in a holistic and coordinated manner, the Government of Zambia constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) composed of key line ministries. The IMC is comprised of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Chair), Office of the President, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of General Education, Minister of Luapula Province and the UN (RC and UNHCR). UNHCR works closely with the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and other key government line ministries. UNHCR also works in partnership with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the international non-governmental organizations (I-NGOs), such as Action Africa Help, Plan International, Caritas Czech Republic, CARE International and World Vision Zambia. Most of INGOs and UN agencies provide community-based protection and basic assistance to refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Mantapala settlement, northern Zambia. The Government of Zambia, UNHCR and partners also provide community-based protection and social support to persons of concern in Lusaka as well as the older refugee settlements of Meheba and Mayukwayukwa, in Western and North Western Provinces. The coordination and management of refugee settlements is led by the Government as per its mandate under the Refugee Act (Act No. 1 of 2017).
    highlight 11 Aug 2021 (2 years ago)
    Zambia
  • A total of 13,332 refugees received non-medical face masks in the three refugee settlements during the month of July 2021.
    highlight 30 Aug 2021 (2 years ago)
    Zambia
  • 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.
    highlight 30 Aug 2021 (2 years ago)
    Zambia
  • 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.
    highlight 30 Aug 2021 (2 years ago)
    Zambia
  • 767 (448 newly arrived asylum-seekers, 136 in-situ and 183 births were registered in July 2021).
    highlight 30 Aug 2021 (2 years ago)
    Zambia