By Mohamed Abdi - Reporter
Djibouti, 18 November 2025 — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has called for stronger regional coordination to address rising levels of forced displacement across the Horn of Africa, as member states face growing humanitarian strain and declining donor support.
The appeal was made on Monday during IGAD’s annual Steering Committee meeting for the project ‘Effective Protection and Solutions for Forcibly Displaced Persons in the IGAD Region (PSDP)’, held in Djibouti and funded by the Government of Sweden.
Speaking at the opening session, Moussa Meigague, Director of IGAD’s Health and Social Development Division, noted that the region urgently needs a coordinated approach to protection and long-term solutions.
“This meeting allows us to review progress, identify key lessons, and define concrete actions to strengthen protection and sustainable solutions for displaced people in our region,” he said.
Houssein Chardi, Deputy Executive Secretary of National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Displaced Persons (ONARS), who chaired the meeting, said the region continues to face severe humanitarian pressures.
More than 5.4 million refugees and asylum seekers currently reside in IGAD member states — making it one of the worst-affected regions globally.
Chardi highlighted Djibouti’s situation, noting that refugees represent more than 3 per cent of the country’s population, despite limited national resources and decreasing international assistance.
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“Despite declining funding, especially from UNHCR, our commitment to the protection and dignity of displaced people remains firm,” he said, emphasising the need for collective action. “Now more than ever, the regional IGAD platform is indispensable.”
Participants included heads of national refugee agencies, protection specialists, IGAD technical teams and representatives from the Swedish government.
Speakers stressed that effective and lasting solutions require regional cooperation and shared responsibility among member states.
A spokesperson for the Swedish Embassy said Sweden is “proud to support a project that directly improves the lives of millions of displaced people in the IGAD region.”
The meeting highlighted the scale and complexity of displacement driven by conflict, drought and economic pressures, with IGAD states agreeing that sustainable solutions depend on coordinated action rather than isolated national responses.
