Regional experts on refugees meet in Uganda over forced displacement

KAMPALA, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Experts on refugees are meeting in Uganda to discuss solutions to the refugee crisis in the Great Lakes region.

According to a statement from the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, the expert-level meeting on Wednesday enters day two preceding a high-level ministerial meeting that starts on Thursday.

The primary agenda is to discuss the rising refugee crisis in the Great Lakes region and the need to address it.

It also aims at requesting countries in the region, with support from the UN, World Bank and other partners, to develop socio-economic local integration plans benefiting host communities and refugees.

After their meeting, the experts from countries in the region, UN and other agencies will send their recommendations to the high-level ministerial meeting attended by ministers in charge of refugees in the region.

UN figures show that, as at October 2018, over 11 million people are displaced in the Great Lakes region due to armed conflicts and insecurity. This figure includes 4.4 million asylum seekers from Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan.