Zambia

Operational context

The Government of Zambia continued providing refugees and asylum-seekers with access to national services and land. However, resources were limited, with a heavy reliance on humanitarian aid. The Congolese crisis, which began in September 2017, continued to generate approximately 500 new arrivals per month.

In pursuing local integration efforts for former refugees from Angola and Rwanda, the Government provided residence permits to more than 1,000 people.   

As part of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, for which Zambia was a roll-out country, the Government expanded access to social amenities for Congolese refugees and their Zambian hosts. The Government also made seven pledges during the Global Refugee Forum in December 2019, including in the areas of local integration, alignment of national laws with international standards, civil registration and legal documentation, food security and livelihoods, social inclusion, energy, and inclusion of refugees in national education systems.

Population trends

In 2019, Zambia hosted some 57,500 refugees, 5,075 asylum-seekers and 23,275 former refugees (18,232 Angolans and 5,043 Rwandans). This represented an increase of 13% from 2018. Women and children constituted 72% of all people of concern in Zambia. 

In 2019, 88% of some 480 refugees resettled to a third country were Congolese. Voluntary repatriation remained very minimal in 2019 with only 43 refugees and around 136 others of concern returning their country of origin.

Achievements

• UNHCR conducted vulnerability assessments in Mantapala, Mayukwayukwa and Meheba settlements to verify and reinforce the referral pathway to services for people with specific needs.
• The permanent health centre in Mantapala was completed and handed over to the Ministry of Health to provide free services to over 14,000 refugees and 5,000 Zambian hosts. In Meheba and Mayukwayukwa settlements, refugees and former refugees continued to access free primary health care services. 
• During 2019, UNHCR complaint and feedback mechanisms were strengthened in all locations, with protection help desks for individual counselling and complaint/suggestion boxes.

Unmet needs

• Limited resources hindered efforts to provide livelihood activities for all refugees in need.
• Resources were inadequate to meet the education needs of refugees and asylum-seekers of school age.
• A lack of resources prevented much needed maintenance and expansion of infrastructure in Meheba and Mayukwayukwa settlements.
• There remained a need for greater engagement of development actors to support effective inclusion and to build up self-reliance for refugees in protracted situations. 

Operational Environment

The political and economic situation in Zambia is expected to remain stable during 2019, with its open door policy towards asylum-seekers projected to continue. The 2017 Refugee Act provides the legal framework for protection, assistance and solutions for refugees in Zambia. Since late 2017, Zambia has received over 20,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo leading to the opening of Mantapala refugee settlement in Luapula Province. The estimated total number of people of concern to UNHCR in 2019 stands at some 105,400.
 
The Government has provided land for Meheba, Mayukwayukwa and Mantapala refugee settlements. In addition, health, education, water and sanitation services in Meheba and Mayukwayukwa settlements are provided by national services. UNHCR and the Government are currently co-leading the refugee response under the Refugee Coordination Model. Inter-agency coordination is taking place both at capital and field levels.
 
UNHCR’s cooperation with the Government is expected to remain close and constructive with increased interactions under the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). The roll out of CRRF in Zambia will focus on the areas of i) admission and rights, ii) inclusion of refugees into national service delivery programmes, iii) self-reliance and access to livelihoods, and iv) durable solutions including local integration and third-country solutions. The operation will also implement a multi-year, multi-partner protection and solutions strategy in line with the CRRF.

Key Priorities

UNHCR will advocate for the effective involvement of development partners and NGOs in protection and assistance of refugees as well as, in line with CRRF principles, the inclusion of people of concern in overall national planning and programmes.
 
In 2019, UNHCR will focus on:

• Ensuring that asylum-seekers and refugees have access to biometric registration and documentation;

• Expanding the use of cash-based interventions to other sectors beyond the provision of cash-for-food;
• Facilitating durable solutions for refugees with emphasis on voluntary repatriation and local integration.