IGAD receives support from the EU, Germany and Sweden for migration and refugee management – the world
December 11, 2022 (BISHOFTU, Ethiopia): The Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, today signed a grant agreement worth €10 million with the German Development Bank (KFW) on December 9 in Bishoftu.
The grant will be used for Phase II of the ongoing implementation of the Regional Migration Fund (RMF) initiative in the region for 36 months from July 2023 to June 2026. The additional funding will enable IGAD to reach more cross-border locations and refugee reception areas in the region.
The main objective of the Regional Migration Fund (RMF) is to improve living conditions and improve economic opportunities for migrants, refugees and host communities in the IGAD region.
The initiative has two distinct, but complementary, windows. Window I aims to improve livelihoods and enhance the socio-economic integration of migrants and local communities, including youth and women, in cross-border locations. On the other hand, Window II is to improve livelihoods and improve the socio-economic integration of refugees and host communities in protracted migration environments.
In addition, the Executive Secretary signed another €3.4 million grant agreement with the European Union for the implementation of the project on sustainable solutions to forced displacement in and from Sudan and South Sudan through the IGAD Support Platform and the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees. The grant will be implemented under the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) initiative.
The third agreement signed by Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu was the free extension of the project entitled ”Towards a joint regional strategy for refugee management” with the Government of Sweden. It is a US$3.6 million grant originally signed in March 2020. The main objective of this project is to develop a standardized and common system for refugee management in general and data collection, reporting and sharing systems among IGAD Member States in particular.
At the end of the scholarship song ceremony, the Executive Secretary thanked the Government of Germany, the EU and the Government of Sweden for their prompt support. Finally, Dr Workneh underlined and assured IGAD’s commitment to the smooth implementation of all projects for which the agreements were signed.