Strengthening Nutrition Support for Refugee Populations

• UNHCR commits to advocating for and catalyzing the inclusion of refugees and stateless populations in national systems that support nutrition, health, food security, WASH, and social protection. Displaced populations face elevated risks of malnutrition due to disrupted livelihoods, limited access to services, and limited inclusion in national frameworks. Addressing these challenges is critical to improving health and nutrition outcomes.

• In 2025 and beyond, UNHCR will promote equitable access to adequate, nutritious food and essential services, aiming to reduce undernutrition and strengthen resilience through integrated, nationally owned, and sustainable responses in line with the Global Compact on Refugees. This commitment is showcased under the UN Common Pledge 2.0, to which several UN country teams have subscribed, and builds on collaborations such as the joint Strategic Collaboration Framework with UNICEF on systematic inclusion of child health and nutrition at country level, the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting initiative, and partnership with WFP among others. It also builds on UNHCR’s long term partnership with the IOC to provide support to refugees globally including through the refugee Olympic Team. UNHCR’s multisectoral approach bridges humanitarian support and long-term solutions, reinforced by robust data systems and sustainable financing mechanisms. Key targets include:

o In 2025 and beyond, advocate in 25 refugee-hosting operations for the integration and inclusion of forcibly displaced populations into national systems covering nutrition, health, food, WASH, social protection, and sustainable financing. This will also include calling for the inclusion of refugees in national reporting frameworks, which often requires disaggregated nutrition data.

o Approximately 250,000 refugee children receive life-saving nutrition support annually, including treatment for wasting and other forms of undernutrition.

o In partnership with the Global Action Plan on Child Wasting (GAP) partners and governments, advocate for the continued inclusion of refugee populations in national child wasting roadmaps in 14 of 24 priority countries in 2025 including coordinated and sustainable financing.

o Support monitoring of nutrition outcomes among refugee populations by consolidating data aligned with SDG 2.2 targets, including child wasting and stunting and anaemia and IYCF. This will also show the nutrition status against global targets.