Global Leaders Asked to Tackle Responsibility Gap in East African Refugee Protection

Summary:

• The Inter-Agency Working Group for East and Central Africa urges global leaders to fulfill their commitment to support refugees and host countries, emphasizing the challenges faced by East African nations hosting a significant portion of the global refugee population.

As the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) approaches in Geneva this week, the Inter-Agency Working Group for East and Central Africa (IAWG) calls upon global leaders to uphold their commitment to supporting refugees and the nations hosting them. The focus should be on fostering increased and equitable responsibility-sharing.

In East Africa, four countries – Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, and Ethiopia – currently host nearly four million refugees, representing over 10 percent of the global refugee population. These countries, grappling with challenges like violent conflict, mass displacement, chronic poverty, climate change, and domestic food insecurity, struggle to provide sustained and adequate financial support for refugees and asylum seekers. Alarmingly, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda, while ranking among the top 10 refugee hosting countries globally, also find themselves in the top 20 countries with the lowest Human Development Index.

Despite endorsing the Global Compact on Refugees in 2018, a framework promoting predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, higher-income countries are failing to fulfill their commitment to support refugees and host nations in the region.

The funding shortfall for UNHCR in these four countries reached almost 50 percent in 2022. In Uganda, hosting 1.5 million refugees, diminishing funds have led to substantial cuts in food assistance, compelling refugees to resort to perilous coping strategies such as child marriage, accumulating debt, or withdrawing children from school. Even before the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, Sudan faced challenges in providing basic necessities like food and water to over one million refugees.

The growing refugee population and evolving needs require lasting and fair solutions to safeguard human rights and safety. Urban-based refugees, seeking new opportunities outside dedicated camps and settlements, often face neglect in responses and may be ineligible for humanitarian aid, exacerbating the strain on limited services and resources.

Countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda, with open-door policies, acknowledge the positive contributions refugees make to local economies. However, without international support, these policies are at risk, as evidenced by Uganda’s government expressing doubts about the sustainability of their refugee model without increased international backing.

The upcoming GRF provides a critical opportunity for governments worldwide to demonstrate commitment to refugee protection and responsibility-sharing through renewed pledges. However, acknowledging the limitations of voluntary and non-binding pledges, strong political will and leadership are essential to achieving the objectives outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees.

Ahead of the Global Refugee Forum, the undersigned organizations working with refugees and host communities in East Africa urge global leaders to fulfill their moral obligation and international commitments. Specific recommendations include urgent and full funding of Humanitarian and Refugee Response Plans in East and Central Africa, maintaining open borders, and asylum space, and increasing flexible, multi-year funding. Additionally, addressing root causes, expanding resettlement programs, and investing in complementary pathways for refugees are crucial components of a comprehensive approach to refugee support.