N’DJAMENA, Chad, July 8, 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- Effectively promoting the economic inclusion of refugees requires recognizing their contribution to the economy, says the World Bank in its recent Note on the economic situation of Chad, which devotes a special chapter to the influx of refugees and its economic implications.
The Sudanese crisis that began in April 2023 has significantly increased the refugee population in Chad, a trend that is expected to continue. As of December 2023, Chad had 1.1 million refugees and asylum seekers.
Chad’s economy has been able to withstand the war in Sudan, despite knock-on effects on trade, government spending, and inflation. GDP growth in 2023, estimated at 4.1% (1% per capita), was supported by oil production, which is estimated to grow at 4.4%. Non-oil GDP growth is estimated at 4.1%, compared to 2% the previous year, thanks to public investment. After overcoming the 2022 floods, the agricultural sector contributed 1.6 percentage points to growth, followed by the services and industry sectors. On the demand side, public investment was the main driver of growth, contributing 7 percentage points.
The Economic Situation Note entitled “Welcoming refugees in an inclusive manner “, aims to feed the public debate on recent economic developments and the prospects for macroeconomic and social policies in favour of growth and poverty reduction.
Economic inclusion of refugees can be enhanced through improved mobility, asset rehabilitation, and integrated productive inclusion strategies. Chadian authorities have taken an open stance on welcoming refugees, with strong support for their local integration, as reflected in the Chadian asylum law signed in 2023. The government’s refugee integration and dispersal policy also aims to reduce potential conflict hotspots and maximize the benefits of economic inclusion.
“Chad is currently facing significant challenges. In this difficult context, it is important to establish a national social protection system that promotes economic inclusion while being adaptive, productive and adapted to the specificities of vulnerable populations, including refugees and host communities, with particular attention to women.” declared Rasit Pertev, World Bank Country Manager in Chad.
The refugee response has focused on meeting the humanitarian needs of those living in camps in border areas. The influx of refugees has exacerbated food insecurity and strained basic services and natural resources in host communities. Integrating refugees into national systems and the economy requires predictable, recurrent and sustainable donor funding, the report says.
“Strengthening social cohesion and avoiding new conflicts requires the development of programs and policies that benefit both host communities and refugees. Integrated policies should target host provinces, combining humanitarian and development efforts to support local development.” complete Claudia Noumedem Temgoua, country economist at the World Bank
To download the report in French: Note on the economic situation in Chad (April 2024) – Special chapter: welcoming refugees in an inclusive manner
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of the World Bank.
Source : African Media Agency (AMA)
2024-07-08 17:07:21
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