Facilitating durable solutions for the uprooted with the UN Refugee Agency in West and Central Africa

UNHCR and IOM, West and Central Africa
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Since the beginning of 2018, 224 UN Volunteers have been mobilized with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in West and Central Africa, including 101 nationals and 123 internationals. In countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad or Togo; UN Volunteers deployed with UNHCR are at the front lines on a daily basis when it comes to providing support to refugees. Despite difficult conditions, they are making tremendous efforts to improve the living conditions of those displaced and strengthen their capacities to make a positive contribution to their new community.

Refugee children, the hope and future of Chad and the Central African Republic

Thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic fled to southern Chad since the end of 2017, many of whom lack food, shelter and access to medical care. They settled in more than 40 villages and four camps near the town of Goré – an area that already hosts around 43,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and 45,000 returnees from Chad, predominantly women and children. 

UN Volunteers tackling the challenge of refugee integration in Europe

Kamilia Lahrichi and Joo Hee Kim
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Between 2016 and 2018, millions of refugees and migrants arrived in Europe in search of asylum, often risking their lives in dangerous journeys. Now, the number of arrivals have significantly declined, however, integrating refugees into the host countries has posed a new challenge. To address this, 35 UN Volunteers were deployed across Europe with UNHCR in 2016-2018, serving in Greece, France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Kamilia Lahrichi (France) served as a UN Volunteer Associate Public Information Officer with UNHCR in France.

With her professional background in journalism, Kamilia’s responsibility included developing communication strategies, producing web articles, press releases, reports and visual content for UNHCR France’s website and social media, as well as disseminating information to the media to promote a better understanding of UNHCR’s work in the country.

Refugee volunteers improve wellbeing and ease conflict in Kakuma, Kenya

UNV partnering with UNHCR
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More than 150,000 refugees and asylum-seekers live in Kakuma, a big settlement in northern Kenya. A UNHCR/UNV project has mobilized and trained refugee volunteers to solve problems faster and improve contact between the host and refugee community. The refugee volunteers have gained a sense of achievement thanks to the project.

Kakuma was founded in 1992 when large numbers of Sudanese and Ethiopian refugees poured into northern Kenya.

There are 500,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya. Most of them live in two huge camps in the East and North of the country – Dadaab and Kakuma.

In January 2018, more than 185,000 refugees resided in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Residents of the camp suffer from a harsh, dry climate and a higher population than current capacities allow.

UNV and Senegal Institute of Management sign agreement to deploy UN University Volunteers

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UNV and Senegal Institute of Management sign agreement to deploy UN University Volunteers

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Addressing water poverty in the Western Sahara Desert

Clifton Shimega
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On his first project as the UN Volunteer posted with the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Clifton Shimega (Kenya) gave the gift of water access to remote communities in Western Sahara.

Western Sahara is mainly desert with high temperatures and local people in the remote areas where Clifton is assigned, are faced with the challenge of access to this vital resource. 

Access to safe water and sanitation and sound management of freshwater ecosystems are essential to human health and to environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.

This is captured in SDG 6, which calls for ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Responding to displacement in Venezuela through integration in Trinidad and Tobago

Sommer Hunte and Andrew Welch
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In September 2017, Andrew Welch and Sommer Hunte were assigned as national UN Volunteer Protection Assistants with UNHCR in Trinidad and Tobago.  As part of the UNHCR team, their role was to provide support to the 40,000 asylum-seekers and refugees from Venezuela seeking international protection in Trinidad and Tobago. 

The number of asylum applications in Trinidad and Tobago by citizens of Venezuela is on the increase. In 2017, nearly 40,000 people applied for asylum.

In response, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is working to support countries throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, by engaging in registration and profiling of the population, reinforcing reception capacity of host communities, assisting with emergency preparedness and contingency planning, and providing basic humanitarian assistance.         

How UNV helped ECOWAS set up its Volunteer Programme

Afke Bootsman, Manager, UNV Regional Office in West & Central Africa
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Afke Bootsman manages the Regional Office of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in West and Central Africa. Based in Senegal, she shares reflections on her recent visit to Sierra Leone.

By far the best part of my job is meeting volunteers. On Wednesday, I met Joseph. He is from Nigeria and a volunteer in Sierra Leone, as part of the Economic Commission of West African states (ECOWAS) Volunteer Programme (EVP), the first regional Volunteer scheme in the world.

Joseph Uzaka Munoye is a basic Science teacher at the oldest secondary school in the country, called Anna Walsh, since September 2017. He didn’t hide his appreciation that the joint ECOWAS-UNV team was paying him a courtesy visit to see how his assignment was going.

Facilitating self-sufficiency and resilience in Tokelau

UN Volunteer Thibault Le Pivain, UNDP Multi-Country Office in Samoa
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When I began my UNV assignment in September last year, I knew little of Tokelau, the island nation I would grow to love. My UNV posting gave me the daunting task of serving as the focal point for the development of programmes with the United Nations in Tokelau.

During the last eight months I have divided my time working at the United Nations Development Programme Multi-Country Office in Samoa and at the Tokelau Apia Liaison Office.

I have also travelled to Tokelau to monitor projects and attend national events. Travel to these atolls, as I have come to understand, is no mean feat. Indeed, the 24-hour boat-journey across some of the remote parts of the Pacific is a prerequisite to understanding the isolation faced by the people of Tokelau and the unique model of resilience they have developed.

#BeatPlasticPollution in our oceans and steer the blue economy

Sarah Nyawira
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Today, 8 June is World Oceans Day. This year, the focus is on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean. Youth must play their role to achieve the benefits of blue economy, or the use of the sea and its resources for sustainable economic development. UN Volunteer Sarah Nyawira is working for clean oceans in her role as UN Volunteer Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer with UN Environment (UNEP) in Nairobi. The Nairobi Convention provides a regional legal framework and coordinates the efforts of UN Member States to strengthen their capacity to protect, manage and develop their coastal and marine environment. Here, Sarah explains the importance of her work and why she is so passionate about healthy oceans.

Oceans are the source of livelihood for many people around the world: 90 per cent of trade, travel and tourism revolve around the ocean. We are often visiting the beach during our vacations and some of the activities we enjoy include swimming, surfing, sea food, diving, sailing and fishing, among others, in an environment with endless mesmerizing sightseeing opportunities.

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