South Africa Multi-Country Office April -June 2020

FACT SHEET

SAMCO reaches 275,925 COVID-19 is impacting the health Regular priorities include: refugees and asylum seekers in and livelihoods of refugees strengthening national asylum Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, alongside citizens. In South Africa systems; ending Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, alone, 32,300 people received statelessness; enhancing Namibia, Seychelles and South emergency cash assistance to the protection environment; Africa. help make ends meet. strengthening partnerships.

POPULATION OF CONCERN BY HOST COUNTRY FUNDING (AS OF 22 JULY) (AS OF 30 JUNE) 275,925 USD26.9 M requested for the South Africa Multi-Country Office

South Africa MCO South Africa 266,654 Lesotho 360 Funded 27% Madagascar 311 Comoros 0 $7.24 M Eswatini 2,009 Seychelles 0 Mauritius 22 Botswana 1,015 Namibia 5,554 TOTAL: 275,925 Gap 73% $19.66 M

POC COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Burundi RoC Other 4% Zimbabwe 5% 15% 7%

Bangladesh 10%

Ethiopia 24% Somalia 11%

DRC 24%

UNHCR PRESENCE ■ 1 Multi-Country Representation Office in Pretoria, South Africa. ■ 1 Country Office in Gaborone, Botswana. ■ 2 Field Offices in Cape Town (South Africa) and Dukwi (Botswana).

■ 1 Field Unit in Durban, South Africa.

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FACT SHEET > South Africa Multi-Country Office / Apr-Jun 2020

Highlights ■ Since 1 April… 32,300 people in urban refugee and host communities in South Africa received emergency cash assistance to buy food and pay rent; 10,000 host community members received face masks from a refugee- run organization in South Africa’s Cape Town; 5,500 refugees in Namibia’s Osire camp and 1,000 refugees in Botswana’s Dukwi camp benefited from risk communication and upgraded health and sanitation systems, in line with the international guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19; 1,000 refugees and A customer wears a face mask while shopping for groceries in asylum seekers received legal assistance and Dukwi refugee camp, Botswana. ©UNHCR/Ann Njoki Kamunya counselling.

Main Activities ■ Refugees and host community members in SAMCO countries continue to be reached with essential information about COVID-19 prevention and response. ■ UNHCR provides technical support to the authorities in the nine countries to strengthen national asylum systems, and to work towards eradicating statelessness. ■ Under its regular programming, UNHCR provides protection services to refugees and asylum- seekers, including legal assistance, psychosocial counselling, basic assistance, access to tertiary education and livelihoods. ■ Under COVID-19 emergency planning, UNHCR and partners are providing multipurpose cash- based assistance and food parcels to members of the refugee and host communities who are struggling to make ends meet, and supporting health care and sanitation services in refugee camps and settlements.

Durable Solutions ■ UNHCR advocates for the local integration of refugees and asylum-seekers wherever possible, and facilitates voluntary repatriation for refugees who wish to return home in safety and dignity. Resettlement is a vital protection tool for a small proportion of highly-vulnerable refugees.

Working with Partners ■ UNHCR works with 21 implementing partners in the seven SAMCO countries currently sheltering people of concern: Botswana (2), Eswatini (1), Lesotho (1), Madagascar (2), Mauritius (1), Namibia (3), South Africa (11).

CONTACTS: Leonard Zulu, Representative, South Africa Multi-Country Office, [email protected], Tel: +27 12 762 7417 Kate Pond, External Relations Officer, South Africa Multi-Country Office, [email protected], Tel: +27 12 762 7572