Attachments
A total of 38 beneficiaries (8 Zambians, 23 refugees and 7 former refugees) in Meheba refugee settlement received training in Systems of Rice Intensification.
A total of 13,332 refugees received non-medical face masks in the three refugee settlements during the month of July.
107 urban residency permits (white cards) were issued on the following grounds: family unity 66, medical 16, investor’s permit 4, employment permit 13 and security permit 8.
Operational Context
The Government of Zambia is leading and coordinating the refugee response in order to achieve its commitments towards the Global Compact on Refugees (CCR) and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Under the 2017 Refugee Act, the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees (COR), within the Ministry of Home Affairs, is mandated to deal with refugee matters. Thus, in 2018 Zambia adopted the mainstreaming approach, which requires that all line ministries including the Ministries of Agriculture (MoA), Health, Education and Community Services contribute to key sectors under the COR.
The coordination of different sectors and partners is managed through interagency meetings at district and national level. This is further strengthened through sectoral and bilateral interactions with various stakeholders. UNHCR is the primary interlocutor and lead agency for refugee issues among UN agencies.
To respond to the ongoing Congolese refugee crisis in a holistic and coordinated manner, the Government of Zambia constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) composed of key line ministries. The IMC is comprised of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Chair), Office of the President, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of General Education, Minister of Luapula Province and the UN (UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNHCR).
As of 31 July 2021, Zambia hosted 100,724 people of concern (PoCs) including 71,418 refugees, 4,657 asylum-seekers and 24,649 others of concern – Angolan and Rwandan former refugees. A total of 767 PoCs including 448 newly arrived asylum-seekers, 136 In-Situ (what does this gategory include?) and 183 births were registered in July 2021.
PoC’s by location in Zambia:
• Mantapala settlement: 17,768 individuals (17,315 are refugees and 453 asylum-seekers).
• Meheba settlement: 32,845 individuals (22,477 are refugees, 399 asylum-seekers and 9,969 others of concern).-• Mayukwayukwa settlement: 20,019 individuals (13,000 are refugees, 18 asylum-seekers and 7,001 others of concern).
• Urban areas in Lusaka and Ndola: 17,688 individuals (13,026 are refugees, 3,787 asylum- seekers and 875 others of concern).
• Self-settled refugees (Government estimate): 12,404 individuals (5,600 refugees and 6,804 others of concern).
UNHCR has four offices in Zambia: Representation Office in Lusaka, Field Offices (FO) in Solwezi and Kawambwa, and a Field Unit in Kaoma. In July 2021, UNHCR Zambia had 101 staff throughout the country including 53 national, 23 international and 25 affiliate staff.