Zambia has today joined the rest of the World to commemorate World Refuge Day, with a commitment and pledge to uplift the welfare of refugees by integrating them into productive sectors of the economy.
With Zambia getting accolades from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for being exemplary in accommodating, empowering and protecting refugees, the government through the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, has intensified interventions to strengthen capacities in the provision of alternative care for refugees especially children found in mixed migration flows.
The commitment aims to shift from the humanitarian assistance aspect to providing social protection to refugees to capacitate them with life skills that will help them navigate socioeconomic challenges.
Ministry Permanent Secretary, Ms. Angela Kawandami, has since expressed optimism that Zambia’s efforts to protect the welfare of refugees will be achieved with the soon-to-be-launched National Refuge Policy.
She was speaking when a team from UNHCR, led by Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Mr Raouf Mazou, paid her a courtesy to discuss wide-ranging issues bordering on human development.
Ms. Kawandami appreciated UNHCR for being instrumental in supporting the implementation of the just-ended European Union-supported global promotion of best practices for children in migration project.
Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary has called for collaboration with UNHCR during the drought crisis to provide protection services to refugees in the three (3) resettlement communities to cushion the effects of the drought on families and children.
And UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Mr. Raouf Mazou, has proposed a memorandum of understanding with the ministry to provide support for social workers working in refuge resettlement communities as this is vital in supplementing governments efforts of promoting self-sustainability among the refuge communities.
Mr. Mazou has further reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to support Zambia during the drought crisis and pledged continued solidarity in times of socioeconomic challenges.
