UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are expanding their partnership to connect millions of displaced people and host communities to the internet by 2030.
During a two-day mission to Chad, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation President John Giusti, and UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements visited refugee settlements where digital access is already transforming lives.
Refugees and local Chadians are using mobile technology for education, health services, and mobile banking, creating pathways to self-reliance.
The visit reinforced the Connectivity for Refugees (CfR) initiative, a joint public-private effort launched in 2023 to ensure all major refugee-hosting areas have affordable internet access by 2030. Active in Chad, Uganda, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mauritania and Rwanda, the program tailors digital solutions to local needs.
Chad hosts 1.5 million refugees, mostly from Sudan. The country’s Tchad Connexion 2030 plan integrates refugee connectivity into its national digital strategy.
Operators like Airtel and Moov are expanding coverage in the east, while Luxembourg’s Emergency.LU project provides satellite links for four learning hubs in refugee settlements.
UNHCR and ITU are seeking over $200 million in new investment to scale up this digital lifeline for displaced communities.
