The African Union has contributed $100,000.00 to Zambia’s hosting of refugees.
In his letter confirming the transfer of funds to the Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia, Chairperson of African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahama, said this followed recommendations made by the Permanent Representative Committee(PRC) Sub-Committe that visited Zambia to undertake the humanitarian assessment on Zambia hosting refugees.
The funds have been sent directly to the Ministry of Agriculture to go under the FISP program for refugees to help make refugees self-sufficient.
And Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, who is also Permanent Representative to the African Union, Emmanuel Mwamba expressed gratitude for the solidarity gesture.
He said Zambia has been hosting refugees since the 1970s by providing shelter, land, food, water, education, infrastructure and security, a matter that came at great cost to the country.
He said the burden had been made lighter by resource support from the United Nations, the UNHCR and other humanitarian institutions.
Ambassador Mwamba said the contribution from the African Union was therefore an extremely humbling gesture to the Zambian government as it was re-affirming the principle that Africa should be at the forefront of resolving its own challenges.
Zambia currently hosts 77,370 persons of concerns (51,371 refugees, 3,173 asylum seekers and 22,826 former refugees).
The refugees and former refugees are hosted in Maheba in North-Western Province, Mayukwayukwa in Western Province and Mantapala, in Luapula Province.
Zambia also has transit centres in Makeni (Lusaka) and Northern and Luapula provinces.
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