NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Ministers from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, adopted a declaration on Thursday to strengthen the protection and socio-economic inclusion of refugees.
The ministers, who met at a forum in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, reaffirmed support for victims of war and displacement linked to climatic shocks by harmonizing policies and laws while sharing successful reintegration models.
Onesmus Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya's cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, said that the IGAD region is still grappling with a refugee crisis that requires concerted efforts to resolve.
According to Murkomen, the Horn of Africa region is home to nearly six million refugees, who have exerted pressure on the fragile ecosystems and economies of their host countries.
"Conflicts within and beyond our borders continue to generate new waves of displacement, while the impacts of climate change further aggravate the situation," Murkomen said at the ministerial stocktaking meeting of the IGAD support platform.
Besides ministers from the IGAD region, other delegates at the meeting included representatives of multilateral agencies, academia, and civil society, who agreed on the need to chart a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for refugees in the region.
Murkomen said that empowering refugees in the Horn of Africa through the provision of basic services such as health, education, shelter, and clean drinking water remains a key priority of governments despite changing geopolitical landscapes.
He urged IGAD member states to uphold the principles of inclusion, support the return and reintegration of refugees in their native countries, and promote burden-sharing aimed at transforming the livelihoods of refugees.
The Horn of Africa states have adopted progressive charters while leveraging cross-border cooperation, policy alignment, and data to advance the rights and welfare of refugees, said Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD executive secretary.
According to Gebeyehu, IGAD member states have also committed to addressing the root causes of civilian displacement, including conflicts, ecological degradation, and widespread poverty.
He said that sustained political goodwill, combined with targeted investments and partnerships, will be key to enhancing the resilience of refugees and their host communities in the region. ■
