UN official voices concern over Europe's withdraw from funding refugee in Zambia

A top official from the United Nations (UN) refugee agency has expressed concern that European donors have started withdrawing funding for refugee programs in Zambia, the Zambia Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Zambia Laura Lo Castro said it was unfortunate that the Western donors have started closing their doors on their assistance to refugee programs, a move that will have negative repercussions.

"I am very sad because the Western countries are going in the wrong direction by withdrawing their support," she was quoted as saying by the paper.

The situation, she said, has made it difficult for the UNHCR to implement some programs, adding inadequate funding had hampered the implementation of some refugee programs.

The UN refugee agency has six million U.S. dollars but needs 21 million dollars to implement various programs this year, she added.

"We would like to do more but we do not have funds. We would like to get into partnership so that we can do more," she said.

The UNHCR, in collaboration with the Zambian government, is implementing various programs, including an integration of former Angolan and Rwandan refugees into Zambian communities.

The UNHCR official said 12,000 Angolan refugees have refused to return back to their country while 4,000 Rwandans have also refused to go back and will need to be reintegrated in Zambian communities. Endi