Joint statement: NGOs urge global leaders to bridge the responsibility gap for refugee hosting and protection in East Africa

As the second Global Refugee Forum (GRF) is about to take place in Geneva this week, the Inter-Agency Working Group for East and Central Africa (IAWG) urges world leaders to honour their commitment to support refugees and the countries hosting them, through increased, equitable responsibility-sharing. Nearly four million refugees are hosted by just four countries in East Africa - that is over 10 percent of the global number of refugees. Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia are countries of asylum for millions of people fleeing conflict and climate change, many of whom are experiencing protracted displacement. Yet those host countries already face a multitude of challenges ranging from violent conflict and continued mass displacement to chronic poverty, climate change, and domestic food insecurity, which are crippling their ability to provide sustained and adequate financial support for refugees and asylum seekers. Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda are amongst the top 10 refugee hosting countries globally, while also ranking in the top 20 countries with the lowest Human Development Index.