Guinea

Working environment

In 2016, the operational context in Guinea was marked by political tensions coupled with numerous labour strikes.  The internal political situation in Guinea has remained fragile since 2013 due to the lack of respect for political agreements by the government, the divergence between the opposition and the authorities over certain points of the political agreement, the postponement of communal and local elections, high cost of living, and unemployment. In addition, instability remained in the neighbouring Guinea-Bissau and Mali.
 
The end of the Ebola epidemic in December 2015, and its resurgence in 2016, left a battered country, with a growth rate of almost zero, a budget deficit of more than 7 per cent of gross domestic product and significant capacity issues that need to be addressed in order to accelerate the necessary reforms needed for revival of development. Human development indicators in Guinea were below the regional average and the cost of food remained high throughout the year.
 
According to the United Nations, 600,000 people living in Guinea suffered from severe food insecurity, and nearly a third of all children suffered from malnutrition.
 

Population trends

By the end of 2016, Guinea hosted just over 5,000 refugees including 4,500 from Côte d’Ivoire, 300 from Liberia, 170 from Sierra Leone and 100 from other nationalities.

Achievements and impact

• In 2016, UNHCR in Guinea focused on consolidation of durable solutions (voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement) and self-reliance programmes.
• Draft bill related to asylum and the status of refugees was forwarded to the National Assembly through the relevant Ministry for its adoption.
• National Plan of Action for prevention and reduction of statelessness was forwarded to the Department of Justice for adoption after due process.
• In 2016, a total of 248 individuals representing 58 families (76 men and 172 women including 9 vulnerable individuals and 11 students) were repatriated under UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme for Ivorian refugees.
• More than 2,200 refugees were engaged in income-generating activities (IGAs), such as agricultural practices and microfinance though Cafodec microfinance institution. 97 per cent of the refugees who benefited from the support of IGA kits were between 18 to 59 years old.

Unmet needs

• Due to funding constraints, UNHCR was unable to implement comprehensively the activities related to self-reliance and livelihoods in Guinea.

Operational context and population trends 

The spread of the Ebola virus in Guinea has had dramatic consequences on economic activities and the social fabric of the country, killing over 2,000 individuals in 2015. The voluntary repatriation of Ivorian refugees was also hampered by the Ebola outbreak and the subsequent closure of the land borders between Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire. It was in this context that UNHCR planned its activities for 2016. 

In 2014, Guinea ratified the 1961 Statelessness Convention.  UNHCR is working with the Government on the domestication of both the 1954 and 1961 Statelessness Conventions, as well as on the implementation of a national action plan for the monitoring of the Abidjan Declaration resolutions on statelessness.

In March 2015, a draft law on the status of refugees in Guinea – the development of which UNHCR has provided technical support – was transmitted to the Government through the Commission Nationale pour l’Intégration et le Suivi des Réfugiés (CNISR). UNHCR is working with the Government of Guinea on its accession to the Kampala Convention and to set up a favorable national legal framework for the protection and assistance for internally displaced persons.

As of 31 December 2014, Guinea hosted over 7,400 refugees, originating mostly from Côte d’Ivoire. In 2016 and 2017, the total refugee population in Guinea is expected to decrease to around 6,000 and 5,300 respectively. 

Key priorities in 2016 

• Facilitate the voluntary repatriation of  refugees  in Guinea and prioritize the voluntary return of 500 Ivorian refugees in 2016;
• Resettle of some 600 refugees by the end of 2017;
• Strengthen livelihood and self-reliance opportunities for refugees, specifically for individuals with special needs;
• Provide access to income-generating activities for Ivorian refugees in camp Kouankan II;
• Strengthen access to self-reliance opportunities for urban-based refugees.