Zambia’s president says Russia-Ukraine war putting strain on thousands of refugees

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema asked the UN on Thursday to assist countries hosting refugees and asylum seekers with financial and logistical aid due to the harsh economic challenges caused by global factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Zambia has been hosting refugees from the time we gained our independence. But now with the constraints in our resource envelope arising from the increased cost of fuel and fertilizer which has been caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change and instability in our macroeconomic fundamentals, it is important for the UN system to redefine its financial and logistical aid to countries hosting refugees," Hichilema said.

Speaking while hosting a delegation of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in the capital, Lusaka, Hichilema said the current debt situation had also put pressure on the southern African nation to effectively carry out its mandate of taking care of refugees due to inadequate resources.

"We (will, however) engage relevant ministries to improve the documentation of refugees and asylum seekers in Zambia to improve their welfare," he added.

Zambia hosts more than 100,000 refugees and former refugees from predominantly central, southern and eastern Africa and has over the years implemented a number of integration support programs for individuals that flee either war or hunger from their countries.

Gillian Triggs, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, who led the delegation to meet Hichilema, hailed Zambia for the proactive role it is playing in enhancing the protection of refugees.

Triggs however said that with the growing community of refugees and increase in economic activity, there is a need for the Zambian government to consider improving the documentation system for refugees.

“The current documentation has the same weaknesses that do not work in favor of the refugees," Triggs said, adding "refugees can only go up to secondary school in terms of education and are disadvantaged from accessing tertiary education.”

Triggs, who concludes her visit to the country on Friday, said there is also a need for a humanitarian visa to facilitate the easy movement of refugees.