UNHCR OPERATION IN ZAMBIA

FACTSHEET
January 2015

HIGHLIGHTS
1,629

6,000

1,400

1,124

Former Angolan refugees

voluntary repatriated
since January 2014

Former Angolan refugees

have applied and are eligible
for local integration

Refugees provided with

cash grants (replacing
food distribution)

refugees submitted for

resettlement with 409
departed since January 2014

Population of concern
A total of

Funding

50,216 people of concern

USD 19,500,007 requested

UNHCR FACTSHEET

By country of origin
Funded
35%

Country

Total PoC

Burundi

2, 558

DRC

20,371

Somalia

2,610

Rwanda

6,171

Angola

18,185

Other

321

Staff:

Offices:

Total

50,216

41 national staff
11 international staff
14 affiliated staff

3 offices located in:

CO Lusaka, FO Solwezi, FO Kaoma

Gap
65%

UNHCR Presence

As of August 2014

UNHCR Factsheet-Zambia

WORKING WITH PARTNERS

UNHCR coordinates humanitarian, repatriation and integration assistance with: Aktion Afrika Hilfe International| Min. of Home
Affairs /Commissioner for Refugees Office | Min. of Health | Min. of Education| Min. of Community Development Mother and Child
Health | Min. of Agriculture and Livestock | Min. of Energy and Water Development | Aktion Afrika Hilfe International|
International Development Enterprise (IDE) | World Vision Zambia (WVZ) | Caritas Czech Republic | Buildcon | Concern Worldwide

MAIN ACTIVITIES
Protection
The government is responsible for conducting refugee status determination. UNHCR is part of the National Eligibility Committee
and provided technical advice as well as country of origin information. UNHCR also provides training for officials on the NEC.

Education

UNHCR assists the most vulnerable students with payment of education materials, uniforms and other related costs for primary
education (which is free of charge) and with scholarships for secondary education for a few refugees. UNHCR support towards
education in the settlements also includes payment of community school teachers salaries and infrastructural improvement of
few selected schools. In the urban areas, UNHCR supports a total number of 420 vulnerable students in accessing primary and
secondary education. Through the German sponsored DAFI program, UNHCR is also currently assisting 45 students with full
sponsorship in accessing tertiary education. Vocational training to facilitate self-sufficiency are currently offered to a total
number of 90 refugees country wide.

In Meheba refugee settlement, there are five government primary schools (grade 1-9) and nine community schools with a
combined total number of 4,864 pupils, of which 1, 404 are Zambians. Mehebas secondary school has 234 students. In
Mayukwayukwa refugee settlement there are a total number of 1, 860 pupils, with 472 being Zambians, in two government-run
primary and two community schools. A newly opened and Government constructed secondary high school in Mayukwayukwa
plans to accommodate a total number of 600 students, Zambians, refugees and former refugees, when fully operational.

Health

Health is provided to the refugees, former refugees in the two refugee settlements and Zambians from surrounding areas.
UNHCR has supported eight health facilities in the settlements and one in Lusaka. In 2014, up to 100,000 patients consulted the
different health centers in the two settlements. More than 10,000 mosquito treated nets were distributed and sensitization
campaigns on their use were incorporated during outreach programs. To improve HIV-AIDS services, one additional CD4
Counting Machine was purchased. Programs and activities on health as well as the prevention of HIV-AIDS were in place. These
activities have contributed to the low HIV prevalence (3%) among the population as compared to higher National HIV
Prevalence (14%).

Community Empowerment and Self-reliance

UNHCR, working with the Government, continues to promote self-reliance activities targeting refugees and former refugees in
the two settlements. Key interventions include income generating activities such as fish farming, bee-keeping, general farming
and keeping of small livestock. Business and entrepreneurship skills upgrading continues to be a key intervention. In 2014,
UNHCR supported 200 farming households. Each farming household received 5-10 hectares of farm land from the Government
of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ). The target for 2015/16 farming season is to have at least 1,000 farming households active in
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org

UNHCR Factsheet-Zambia

the two resettlement schemes. In addition to agriculture based livelihoods UNHCR is also promoting vocational skills training
and employment creation for youth and other individuals. In 2014, 72 youth were enrolled in trade institutes. The target for
2015 is to reach at least 150 youth.

In addition, and within the local integration program, UNHCR and partners are now scaling up livelihoods interventions,
addressing issues related to savings and access to finance and credit, training and capacity building in good farming methods
and environmental protection, access to markets and promoting community cohesion and facilitating formation of networks
and cooperatives. To make these targets a success, UNHCR is developing partnerships with key UN agencies (including ILO,
UNDP, IFAD and FAO), Government Ministries and Departments, District Authorities, private sector and local communities,
building synergies to ensure maximum impact of the interventions as well as sustainability.

Finally, food distribution to vulnerable refugees and new arrivals has been replaced in 2014 with cash transfer, mirroring exactly
the Government program to fight rural poverty across the country. The program is implemented by MCDMCH and benefits
some 1,500 refugees. This has also allowed beneficiaries to cater beyond their immediate food needs, but also have some funds
to start up business.

Voluntary Repatriation

In 2014, the Government of Zambia and UNHCR, with the support of the International Organisation for Migration assisted 1,629
refugees and former refugees to return home. Some 1609, were Angolans, while an additional 15 were Ethiopians, one
Congolese from the DRC and four Rwandans, bringing the total of those who repatriated to 1, 629. An additional 900 Angolans
from Meheba and Mayukwayukwa refugee settlements have expressed interest to repatriate in 2015.

Resettlement

In 2014, Zambia referred 254 cases/ 864 persons to the Regional Office in South Africa (ROSA) for resettlement processing.
ROSA submitted a total of 335 cases/1,128 persons to Resettlement countries. 123 cases/ 409 cases departed on Resettlement.
The target for 2014 was 800 persons and target for 2015 is 1,000 persons. So far in 2015, 14 cases have been referred to ROSA
and 13 people have departed on resettlement.

Local integration
Some 6, 000 former Angolan refugees have applied and are eligible for local integration. The Angolan Government has since
issued over 1, 000 passports to them. The process of obtaining residency permits has begun and to date, over 200 files have
been submitted to the Department of Immigration in Zambia. Furthermore, a total of 108 residency permits are ready, in
addition to the 15 already issued. UNHCR will continue to liaise with the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees and
Immigration Department to ensure that more residency permits are processed in 2015.
Some 662 plots of land have been demarcated in the two resettlement schemes assigned by the Government to the local
integration program. Some 560 application forms for plots have been distributed and filled in by Angolans and Zambians, and
313 plots, with letters of occupancy, have been allocated by the Department of Resettlement. In addition, 300 farmers have
cleared and planted on their land in the two resettlement schemes following the distribution of agricultural inputs and tools for
the 2014-2015 farming season.
In the resettlement areas, two health centres are under construction and are expected to be completed in mid-2015, one each in
Mayukwayukwa and Meheba. The two health centres will enhance provision of health care to former refugees and Zambians.

UNHCR is grateful for the generous contributions of donors who have given unearmarked and broadly earmarked contributions to UNHCR this year
as well as the following donors who have directly contributed to the operation: Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)| Japan
Government |USA Government | Government of Denmark |

Contact:
Kelvin Shimoh, Public Information Associate shimo@unhcr.org, Tel: +263 4 338 891/2/3,
Horizon House, plot No. 17C Leopards Hill Road, PO Box: 32542, Lusaka, Zambia

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) www.unhcr.org