GENEVA—The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has launched an appeal for $21.4 million to bolster its support for nearly 10 million forcibly displaced individuals and their host communities across 35 African nations, in response to the escalating mpox health crisis.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the UNHCR outlined that the funds are needed immediately and will be utilized through December to enhance critical response and prevention efforts amidst the ongoing mpox emergency. “These funds are also essential to ensure that refugees and other forcibly displaced people are fully integrated into government-led preparedness and response plans,” stated the UNHCR.
The agency reported that refugees in Africa have been particularly affected, with 88 confirmed mpox cases, including 68 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the country with the highest recorded number of cases globally. Additional cases have been confirmed among refugees in the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
The UNHCR highlighted the emergence of a new mpox strain, clade 1b, especially in the DRC, which led the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern on August 14. This year alone, over 20,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported across Africa.
The appeal comes as Africa, home to more than a third of the world’s forcibly displaced population, faces compounded challenges from conflict, underfunded humanitarian efforts, and frequent natural disasters. “The mpox emergency threatens to further strain already overstretched humanitarian resources, potentially disrupting critical services and aid such as food distribution, education, and protection activities,” the UNHCR emphasized.
In response to the crisis, the UNHCR has intensified preventative measures in refugee camps and transit centers, including reinforcing handwashing stations, increasing soap distribution, and improving access to diagnostic testing. The agency has also stepped up disease surveillance, screening, reporting, and training for community health workers, alongside ramping up community outreach efforts to combat misinformation and reduce stigma associated with mpox.