**UNHCR 92nd Standing Committee**
**11-13 March 2025**
**Agenda item 3 a) Regional updates: Africa**
**Statement by the EU and its Member States**
Chair,
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The **partnership with Africa** remains a top priority for the EU and its Member States, as demonstrated by the “Joint Vision for 2030” and continued activities of the AU-EU-UN Task Force. A partnership that is marking 25 years in 2025, and we are envisaging to progress with the newly elected AU and EU Commission and the expected AU-EU Summit. We commend the African Union’s progress in the establishment of the African Humanitarian Agency and recognise UNHCR’s involvement within its Humanitarian Coordination Forum.
The **centrality of protection** and **gender-responsive** approaches should remain at the heart of UNHCR’s operations as well as policy and budgetary priorities. UNHCR's leadership in coordinating integrated, person -centered responses – including via its regional offices – is crucial. Advancing vulnerability-based targeting, identity management, digitalization, interoperability and referral mechanisms should ensure efficient aid delivery and knowledge-sharing among partners.
Despite current funding challenges, we underline the importance of UNHCR to continue to prioritize and scale up their efforts on sustainable responses, facilitating inclusion, self-reliance and a more robust engagement from development actors. In close cooperation with host countries and with support of donors and development actors, paths towards economic and social inclusion as well as refugees’ self-reliance must be at the center of efforts
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the humanitarian situation has significantly deteriorated. In the East, the fighting M23’s offensive, supported by the Rwandan Armed Forces (RDF) has caused a rise of human rights and International Humanitarian Law violations in an already dire context. It has also increased the number of IDPs and the risks they face, including in IDP sites, both in terms of protection and access to basic services.
The use of guns and heavy artillery in displacement camps is deplorable. The rising rate of abduction and recruitment of children into armed groups is alarming. The scale of conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls has reached unimaginable levels, with increasing vulnerability, exploitation, and abuse. The EU and its Member States will continue to advocate for the compliance with International Humanitarian Law and the safe, unimpeded, and uninterrupted humanitarian access to persons in need. We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of hostilities to prevent further harm. The EU and its Member States reaffirm our commitment to address the humanitarian situation and address sexual and gender-based violence in the DRC and we encourage UNHCR to strengthen coordination and advocacy in that regard.
In the **Great Lakes**, we support regional efforts to provide durable solutions for Burundian and Congolese refugees, through voluntary repatriation and local reintegration. It is essential that forcibly displaced persons are provided with legal documentation, access to basic services such as health, psychosocial support and education and adequate, secure lands to settle in a dignified and safe manner.
Last year, we already raised grave concern about **Sudan**. And yet, the situation has deteriorated with immense human suffering from further displacement, famine conflict-related sexual violence especially against women and girls and continued violations of children's rights. UNHCR operates in an extremely volatile environment, facing deliberate obstruction of access. The EU and its Member States will continue to advocate for the respect of International Humanitarian Law and the safe, unimpeded, and uninterrupted humanitarian access. To effectively protect persons of concern, it is essential for UNHCR and partners to be able to establish a sustained and effective field presence also in the most remote areas irrespective of the varied spheres of territorial control. Beyond urgently needed life-saving aid, it is key to promote longer-term inclusion and social cohesion efforts. We commend the countries in the region for their generosity as hosts and welcome UNHCR’s efforts to comprehensively respond to the Sudan regional crisis, and support equal access to protection, services, and self-reliance for all IDPs, refugees and host communities. UNHCR plays a key role through coordination, identity management, and advocacy.
In **Eastern Chad**, we support UNHCR’s operations and value the humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach to include refugees with host communities. Due to sexual and gender-based violence, UNHCR should prioritize gender-responsive protection interventions. The conflict ravaging Sudan is having profound humanitarian impact in the social fabric of Chad.
In **South Sudan**, UNHCR’s role in protection, coordination, and rapid displacement response is central. We commend UNHCR and IOM for their robust coordination and efficient refugee transport, preventing border congestion. As challenges grow, enhanced coordination, especially in Upper Nile State, may be needed. Protection risks remain high, particularly for women, girls, children, persons with disabilities and persons in marginalized or vulnerable situations. UNHCR’s reinforced monitoring system, biometric registration, and data interoperability efforts should enhance efficiency. We stress the importance of UNHCR’s data sharing, conflict analysis, and contingency planning.
In **Ethiopia**, we appreciate the government’s progressive policy for refugee rights and welcome UNHCR’s advocacy. Given the persistent high needs of refugees and asylum-seekers from Sudan, we encourage UNHCR to enhance coordination and lifesaving services. Respect for International Humanitarian Law, access and security of humanitarian partners is also key. We recall the importance of strict, system-wide measures to prevent and respond to aid diversion. In **Somalia**, we acknowledge UNHCR’s work on the reintegration of returnees.
In **Uganda**, we commend the generous policy towards refugees, that we will continue supporting with a strong humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach. Especially since refugees and asylum seekers from Sudan and DRC continuously arrive. We welcome the progress made so far and call of further work towards increased resilience, self-reliance, localization and accountability. We commend **Kenya**’s commitment to the camp to settlement approach and ask UNHCR to contribute to the full implementation of legislative advancements. We emphasize UNHCR's role in addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of newly arrived asylum seekers and refugees.
We count on UNHCR’s role to continue assisting **Nigeria** in mitigating the impact of camp closure policy. In Nigeria, a systematic response is imperative to meet the needs of IDPs affected by attacks motivated inter alia by religious extremism. In **Northwest and Southwest** **Cameroon** and the **Central African Republic**, additional support is needed to address these crises and accompany camp to settlement approaches.
In **West and Central Africa**, we call on UNHCR to maintain its protection focus. While we welcome efforts to improve coordination and develop solid protection analysis, the deteriorating situation in **Central Sahel** and negative impact on humanitarian access requires action. We provide support to refugee registration in **Mauritania**, as well as emergency assistance and longer-term support to both Malian refugees and host communities. Whereas our focus remains on Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso of central Sahel, we are closely monitoring the situation of **Coastal countries**, especially in **Benin**, **Togo**, **Côte d’Ivoire** and **Ghana.** We call on UNHCR to promote human rights while preventing the risk of expulsion, strengthening assistance to out-of-camp refugees, and further integrating protection risks and climate considerations.
We are concerned about the situation in **Mozambique** as it faces violence from armed groups in Cabo Delgado and the impact of cyclones Chido and Dikeledi. We call on UNHCR to advocate for safe, voluntary and dignified returns and relocations of IDPs. Together with returnees, and host communities they need protection and psychosocial support. In **Malawi**, the influx of Mozambican asylum-seekers is a concern, requiring stronger protection measures and sustainable solutions like community inclusion and access to national health and education systems. In **Zimbabwe**, UNHCR should support governmental efforts to enhance refugee self-reliance, expand tertiary education access, and strengthen the camp’s preparedness for natural hazards. In **South Africa**, UNHCR and IOM have advanced voluntary refugee repatriation. We urge stronger advocacy to promote refugee inclusion and resilience.
Thank you.