UNHCR targets 50 percent reduction in protracted displacement by 2035

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is targeting a 50 percent reduction in the number of refugees in protracted displacement situations who are dependent on humanitarian aid by 2035, through its 50by35 programme. “The UNHCR High Commissioner has launched a target to reduce the number of refugees in protracted displacement situations and dependent on humanitarian aid by 50 percent by 2035, known as the 50by35 programme,” said UNHCR Assistant Protection Officer Hendrik Therik in Jakarta on Wednesday. Hendrik was responding to a group of Somali refugees who had urged the UNHCR to accelerate the resettlement process to a third country during a demonstration outside the UNHCR office in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta. He assessed that dependence on humanitarian aid cannot be a long-term solution, particularly amid declining global humanitarian support and reduced resettlement quotas to third countries. To achieve this target, UNHCR in Indonesia is focusing on several protection aspects for refugees. These protection aspects include registration, documentation, refugee status determination, prevention of and response to gender-based violence, and legal access through effective and efficient processes. Furthermore, the agency is promoting the inclusion of refugees in basic services such as health insurance, education, civil registration, financial services, social assistance, legal services, and telecommunications. UNHCR is also placing economic empowerment and self-reliance as a primary focus. “Opportunities for refugees to actively participate in the economy are important in a humane and protracted protection mechanism,” he said. On the other hand, the development of long-term solutions is being pursued through various pathways, including safe repatriation to countries of origin, resettlement programmes, family reunification, and alternative pathways to third countries. Thus, UNHCR is committed to developing sustainable protection in Indonesia, which runs in parallel with the search for permanent solutions outside Indonesia.