The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another state, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country

HIV-related Mission

The objectives and key strategies of UNHCR to address HIV among refugees and other persons of concern are outlined in the UNHCR Strategic Plan on Refugees, HIV and AIDS. They are based on two principles

• Ensuring that refugees, asylum-seekers and other persons of concern live in dignity, free from discrimination and their human rights are respected
• Reducing HIV transmission, improving treatment and care through effective planning and implementation of HIV programmes

UNHCR's main strategies

• Ensuring the effective implementation of UNHCR's protection policy and standards at the field level
• Further consolidating UNHCR’s commitment to address HIV in refugee situations at all levels
• Reinforcing access to technical resources and strengthening institutional capacity building through partnerships
• Continuing support for existing HIV programmes
• Developing comprehensive HIV pilot projects in selected refugee situations
• Expanding the scope of activities in returnee situations, in cooperation with the government of the country of origin and other UN agencies
• Accessing and identifying additional financial resources to expand HIV-related programmes for refugees

Key Roles of the Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinators

The Regional HIV/AIDS Technical Officers are responsible for

• Overseeing the implementation of the Strategic Plan at field level
• Providing technical support to country, refugee camp or site level HIV programmes in the areas of behaviour change education, treatment and care, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation
• Coordinating with the Senior Health Officer for HIV/AIDS at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva

Key Roles of UNHCR within the UN Regional HIV and AIDS Team (RHAT)

As a member of the Impact mitigation and Orphans and vulnerable children working group, UNHCR focuses on displaced populations; refugees and internally displaced persons

Regional Offices and Contacts

Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator, East and Horn of Africa

Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Neimah Warsame
Manager Regional Support Hub
UNHCR Regional Support Hub
Lion Place, Waiyaki Way
Westlands, Nairobi
Tel: +254 20 422 2100
Fax: +254 20 422 2082/80

Regional HIV/AIDS Coordinator, Southern Africa

Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Ebrima Camara
Regional Representative
UNHCR Regional Representation for Southern Africa
8th Floor Metropark Building, 351 Schoeman Street
PO Box 12506, The Tramshed
Pretoria 0126, South Africa
Tel: +27 12 354 8313
Fax: +27 12 354 8390

References

• Strategies to support the HIV-related needs of refugees and host populations (UNAIDS/ UNHCR)
• The development of programme strategies for integration of HIV, food and nutrition activities in refugee settings (UNHCR/WFP)
• Antiretroviral Medication Policy for Refugees (UNHCR)
• HIV/AIDS, Conflict and Displacement (UNHCR/UNICEF)
• Policy Brief: HIV and Refugees (UNAIDS/ UNHCR)

Websites

www.unhcr.org/hiv-aids