UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and ITU, the UN agency for digital technologies, are expanding efforts with partners in Chad and other refugee-hosting countries to ensure that millions of forcibly displaced people and local communities are connected by 2030.
Wrapping up a two-day joint visit to Chad on Friday, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, President of the GSMA Mobile for Development Foundation John Giusti and UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner Kelly T. Clements saw firsthand how connectivity is transforming lives of vulnerable communities. Across the country, Sudanese refugees and Chadians are using digital tools to access education, financial services, and healthcare - taking steps toward greater stability and self-reliance.
While in Chad, the partners sought to cement the regulatory and infrastructure framework to expand the Connectivity for Refugees (CfR) initiative. Launched in 2023 during the Global Refugee Forum as a pledge to mobilize resources so all major refugee hosting areas have available and affordable connectivity by 2030, it has evolved into a private-public partnership active in countries including Chad, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mauritania, Egypt, and Rwanda. Each program is tailored to local needs, mapping communities most in need to expand connectivity.
"In Chad, we witnessed firsthand how connectivity can restore dignity and hope for displaced people and host communities," said ITU's Bogdan-Martin. "The Connectivity for Refugees initiative opens doors to digital opportunity in places where connection to the Internet is a lifeline, not a luxury. Now more than ever, we must act and extend that lifeline so that no one is left behind."
"Too many people view refugees as passive victims, but we saw in Chad their drive to connect, to learn and enhance their lives and future prospects," said UNHCR's Clements. "Our goal is ambitious -- connecting 20 million forcibly displaced people and their hosts by 2030. We've shifted gears, and are starting to deliver results which will help create resilient, inclusive communities. But we need to keep pushing."
Chad is home to around 1.5 million refugees, mainly Sudanese. Its government is committed to digital inclusion through its development plan, Tchad Connexion 2030, which integrates refugee needs into broader digital infrastructure. Local mobile operators Airtel Chad and Moov have made infrastructure upgrades to help connect the isolated east of the country. Emergency.LU, a public-private partnership funded by Luxembourg enabling high-performance satellite connectivity, is being deployed across several locations in Chad. Four connected centres are being established in Djabal, Farchana, Idrimi, and Oure Cassoni settlements, serving as learning hubs for Sudanese refugees and host communities alike.
UNHCR is calling on partners across sectors to help scale this work to meet the urgent needs of millions. This includes expanding infrastructure and lifting regulatory barriers to individual access for displaced people. To achieve this, Connectivity for Refugees is seeking at least $20 million in core support, with at least $200 million in direct investment and contributions.
Driving global efforts to bridge the digital divide, ITU works with telecom regulators and industry leaders to develop innovative digital solutions for underserved regions. Its Partner2Connect Digital Coalition has mobilized commitments from over 70 governments, companies, and other organizations, to unlock connectivity solutions for refugees, while its Disaster Connectivity Map provides critical data to guide interventions in crisis-stricken regions like Chad.
The GSMA is a founding member of the Connectivity for Refugees Initiative, serving as a bridge between mobile network operators and humanitarian organisations. GSMA's Giusti added: "Connectivity is often the first thing people ask for when crossing a border seeking safety. This unique partnership with UNHCR and ITU allows the GSMA to broker scalable and sustainable connectivity solutions to support forcibly displaced people and the communities that host them around the world"
UNHCR is also deepening its engagement with development actors like the World Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC) seeking to allocate portions of large-scale digital infrastructure projects to refugee-hosting areas.
