The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) convened in Abuja on August 14, 2024, to strengthen partnerships.
The UNHCR high-level delegation was led by Mr. Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, and Mr. Abdouraouf Gnon-Konde, Director of the Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa. They visited ECOWAS Headquarters to seek support in fortifying partnerships as UNHCR progresses towards sustainable programs in the ECOWAS region.
Welcoming the delegation, H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, underscored the prevailing humanitarian situation primarily caused by conflicts leading to population displacement and food insecurity, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions.
The Vice President informed the UNHCR delegation that approximately 7,337,979 individuals are forcibly displaced due to conflicts, violence, and disasters within the ECOWAS region. This includes 6,526,928 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and 811,051 refugees and asylum seekers.
H.E. Damtien L. Tchintchibidja urged UNHCR to continue supporting ECOWAS Commission and Member States in implementing their Global Refugee Forum (GRF) pledges. She noted that ECOWAS has allocated around $9 million from its humanitarian budget in 2024 to assist refugees, IDPs, asylum seekers, and stateless persons.
She assured the delegation that ECOWAS would persist in collaborating with UNHCR to achieve durable solutions for managing refugee situations while working towards reducing displacements within the region.
In his statement Mr. Raouf Mazou commended ECOWAS on developing a regional policy on asylum and assured H.E. Tchintchibidja that UNHCR would work closely with ECOWAS to implement necessary programs. He emphasized that a regional approach and strategy are essential given the current humanitarian situation.
The meeting also marked a renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ECOWAS and UNHCR signed in 2023 amidst increasing violent conflicts, disasters, and insecurity within some Member States.
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