The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the Government of Senegal and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has launched a joint humanitarian and cooperation initiative to strengthen protection, livelihoods and social inclusion for refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons in Senegal.
The initiative was unveiled at a ceremony in Dakar attended by senior Senegalese government officials, ECOWAS commissioners, UNHCR representatives, development partners and leaders of refugee communities. It represents a key implementation milestone of a project conceived in 2023, amid declining global humanitarian funding and mounting pressure on refugee assistance worldwide.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, officials described the programme as a demonstration of regional solidarity and a reaffirmation of ECOWAS’ commitment to human dignity. They noted that West Africa continues to grapple with conflict, climate change, disasters and economic instability, all of which fuel forced displacement and strain host communities.
Valued at over $500,000, the ECOWAS-supported intervention aims to deliver life-saving assistance while promoting sustainable livelihoods, social cohesion and peaceful coexistence between displaced populations and host communities. ECOWAS officials stressed that the initiative goes beyond emergency relief by investing in long-term stability, security and development.
Representing refugees and asylum seekers, the Chair of the Committee of Representatives of Refugees in Senegal, Mr Lambert Koliti, welcomed the agreement as a source of renewed hope for displaced families. He said the programme would expand access to education, vocational training, healthcare and social support, enabling refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity and contribute meaningfully to their host communities.
Refugee leaders also urged ECOWAS to support refugee-led initiatives and integrate displaced persons into regional training, employment and entrepreneurship programmes, while calling on the Senegalese government to further strengthen access to livelihoods and essential services.
In a statement delivered on behalf of UNHCR, the agency commended ECOWAS and Senegal for the strength of the tripartite partnership, describing it as a practical example of responsibility-sharing in line with the Global Compact on Refugees. UNHCR emphasized that effective responses to forced displacement require collective, coordinated and predictable action.
Senegal was praised for its commitment to refugee protection, including recent legislative reforms to modernize the national asylum system and improve access to rights for refugees and stateless persons. Officials noted that these reforms align with broader ECOWAS efforts to harmonize asylum governance across the region.
Despite ongoing funding constraints and institutional restructuring within the humanitarian sector, participants expressed confidence that the cooperation framework would help pool resources, strengthen national capacities and deliver targeted support to vulnerable populations.
The event concluded with renewed calls for sustained collaboration among ECOWAS, Senegal, UNHCR, development partners and refugee communities to ensure inclusive support, promote resilience and advance regional solidarity across West Africa.
