UNHCR Regional Bureau for Eastern and Southern Africa (RBESA) is based in Nairobi, Kenya, covering 25 countries. This includes Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This follows UNHCR’s restructuring in October 2025, merging countries previously under the East, Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes (EHAGL) and Southern Africa (SA) regional bureaus. In addition to the bureau, there are three Multi-Country Offices (MCO), Mozambique MCO that will be covering Mozambique and Angola, and Zambia MCO that will be covering Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe and South Africa MCO covering Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles and South Africa.
The bureau also manages two specific situations: the Sudan Situation and the South Sudan Situation. It is responsible for strategic decisions, regional priorities, integrity oversight, and quality assurance. The RBESA also provides technical support to country operations in various sectors, including education, child protection, economic inclusion, and durable solutions.