• UNHCR, ITU, and GSMA are expanding the Connectivity for Refugees initiative to connect 20 million forcibly displaced people and hosts by 2030.
• Chad hosts 1.5 million forcibly displaced people, mainly Sudanese.
• Initiative seeks $20 million in core support and $200 million in direct investment as connectivity becomes essential for displaced populations.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) are strengthening collaborations with partners in Chad and other nations hosting refugees to provide digital connectivity for millions of displaced individuals and surrounding communities by 2030.

At a two-day joint visit to Chad on November 8, 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 the lives of vulnerable communities. Sudanese refugees and Chadians are using digital tools to access education, financial services, and healthcare, said the ITU in a statement.

"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."

According to the statement, Chad hosts 1.5 million forcibly displaced people, facing limited resources, mainly Sudanese refugees from conflicts in neighboring Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Cameroon.

"Too many people view refugees as passive victims, but we saw in Chad their drive to connect, to learn and enhance their lives and 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 that will help create resilient, inclusive communities. But we need to keep pushing."

The Connectivity for Refugees initiative was launched in 2023 at the Global Refugee Forum as a pledge to mobilize resources so that all major refugee-hosting areas have access to 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.

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.

The initiative addresses global connectivity gaps, with ITU reporting that in 2024, about 2.6 billion people—one-third of the population—remain offline. This digital exclusion leads to poorer health, shorter life expectancy, social isolation, and limited access to education and jobs. Expanding connectivity creates opportunities for learning, livelihoods, leisure, and humanitarian support, as aid organizations shift toward digital service delivery.

Hikmatu Bilali