The World Bank has approved a new grant to help Zambia improve socio-economic opportunities for refugees and their host communities. The $30 million Zambia Refugee and Host Communities Project will focus on legislative reforms supporting the Government of Zambia’s 2023 Refugee Policy and invest in social and economic activities within the Meheba refugee settlement.
“This project will strengthen the enabling environment, climate-resilient community infrastructure, and support to agribusiness and livelihoods,” said Achim Fock, World Bank Country Manager for Zambia.
Zambia hosts over 100,000 refugees who will benefit from new legislative measures aligning with the National Refugee Policy.
“This World Bank project will provide Zambia with the international support it needs to transform the areas hosting refugees and former refugees into economic hubs. The project will boost the government’s work to advance the refugee inclusion, human development, and self-reliance direction it has embarked on, in line with the ambitions of the Global Compact on Refugees. Through a sustainable approach, Zambia will improve living conditions for local communities and support long-term solutions for the forcibly displaced persons for which the country has been a safe haven,” said Preeta Law, UNHCR Representative in Zambia.
The project aims to benefit both host communities and refugees at Meheba by supporting health and education services, widening access to electricity, and improving road infrastructure.
"Zambia has a long history of hosting refugees. The country is taking bold and significant steps to ensure greater refugee inclusion and self-reliance whilst also supporting the communities which host them. Their eventual success will no doubt inform other countries, both regionally and globally," said Andrew James Roberts, World Bank Senior Social Development Specialist and Task Team Leader.
This initiative aligns with Zambia's new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for FY25–29, prioritizing job creation, human capital improvement, and climate resilience enhancement.
Through this grant, the World Bank aims to accelerate sustainable development for refugees and host communities in Zambia by supporting fiscal decentralization, increasing rural population resilience to shocks, and addressing critical infrastructure gaps.