ReliefWeb

In the framework of the SUN Global Programme, GIZ and UNHCR are developing a joint project to build capacity to promote the socio-economic inclusion of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable members of host communities in Mauritania

Context

Mauritania has maintained a commendable open-door policy towards refugees for decades and is host to the largest number of Malian refugees in the Sahel region. As of March 2022, 74,279 Malian refugees are living in the Hodh Chargui region where Mbera refugee camp is located. There are also 11,610 refugees and asylum-seekers in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, mostly from Mali and to a lesser extent from Ivory Coast, Central African Republic and Syria. Protracted instability in Mali means that largescale returns of Malians are not viable in the immediate future while the number of Malians seeking refuge in Mauritania has increased since the start of 2022. The Government of Mauritania has committed itself to a policy of inclusion for Malian refugees, allowing them to be gradually integrated into national services, starting with healthcare and social protection. Since 2021, UNHCR and GIZ have, in turn, designed joint initiatives that facilitate the socio-economic inclusion of refugees, asylum- seekers and vulnerable members of host communities in Mauritania, in support of the government’s overall inclusion policy.