In a stark warning, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) emphasized that investing in sustainable development is crucial to reducing unprecedented levels of forced displacement. The agency highlighted the urgent need to support refugee-hosting countries and those welcoming returnees to prevent new and prolonged displacement.
Failing to provide adequate support to these countries not only jeopardizes development gains but also leaves refugees dependent on humanitarian aid. UNDP is taking a proactive stance by committing to scale up support in over 30 countries, facilitating long-term financing, enhancing access to services, promoting livelihoods, creating decent jobs, ensuring justice, and reinforcing peace building, climate action, and national/local coordination.
Haoliang Xu, UNDP Associate Administrator, stressed the human cost of forced displacement and called for a renewed global solidarity to address the challenges faced by refugees and host communities. The organization aims to assist countries in securing a future for both themselves and the refugees they host.
MULTI-SECTORAL PLEDGE
In a collaborative effort, the Government of Japan and UNDP are launching a multi-sectoral pledge to “Accelerate and better leverage the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approaches in forced displacement settings.”
The Global Compact on Refugees, which emphasizes global responsibility sharing, is facing significant strain, with the number of refugees and people in need of international protection reaching 47.8 million by the end of 2023 (UNHCR). Notably, 76 percent of these individuals are hosted by low- and middle-income countries, and a mere 19 percent of the world’s income represents the countries providing the majority of this support.
INTERNATIONAL AID
Developing countries, already grappling with economic, service, and societal challenges, receive insufficient international aid to cope with large movements of people. The 2023 Global Compact on Refugees Indicator Report indicates that only 34 percent of Official Development Assistance (ODA) for refugee situations in developing countries between 2020 and 2021 was allocated to development financing, with 6 percent for peace and 3.6 percent supporting refugees returning to their countries of origin. In 2022, a mere half a million refugees accessed solutions like voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement.
The Global Refugee Forum, occurring every four years, serves as a platform to monitor progress and establish new ambitions for addressing forced displacement. UNDP is actively involved in various multi-stakeholder pledges, including the UN Common Pledge 2.0, a commitment to climate action and finance, a legal aid community pledge, and initiatives to secure housing, land, and property rights, leveraging area-based approaches for reintegration in countries of return, such as Afghanistan.
