Fatima Mohammed-Cole

UN Refugee Agency. @Refugees #WithRefugees

[Abdouraouf Gnon-Kond @GnonKond]

Honoured to present my credentials to @ecowas_cedeao on behalf of @Refugees. As displacement affects many across the region, strong partnerships matter more than ever. I look forward to working with ECOWAS to strengthen protection and support solutions for those forced to flee.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Today, 58 Burundian refugees are voluntarily returning home from Nairobi.

For families like Eric’s, return means the chance to rebuild, reconnect and see their children resume school.

When conditions allow, voluntary repatriation is an important pathway to solutions.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

For children forced to flee, education is safety, stability and possibility.

Grateful for TECNO’s partnership to help expand learning opportunities for refugee children and youth across Africa, including here in Kenya.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Inspired to meet refugee athletes yesterday and hear about their journeys and aspirations.

Through sport, refugees can access opportunity, belonging and support. We'll continue working with @RefugeesOlympic and @OlympicsKe to support the athletes pursue their talent and dreams.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Sport can be a pathway to protection, inclusion and opportunity.🏃🥋

Yesterday, we joined refugee athletes, Jeroen Carrin, Head of @RefugeesOlympic and @OlympicsKe to discuss how sport can strengthen pathways to protection, inclusion and more opportunities for refugees in Kenya.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Eid al-Adha Mubarak to all those celebrating.

May this occasion renew compassion, generosity and solidarity with families forced to flee and the communities that welcome them.

Wishing you peace and togetherness.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Eid al-Adha Mubarak to all those celebrating in Kenya and around the world.

On this occasion of sacrifice, generosity and compassion, we wish refugee and host communities peace, togetherness and hope.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

t was inspiring to meet these young refugee women innovators from Kakuma.

Their ideas, shaped by lived experience, are tackling real challenges in their communities.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Young refugee innovators from Kakuma are using AI to explore solutions for their communities.

Supported by UNHCR, they recently took part in the AI Everything Kenya Summit in Nairobi. Refugee youth are not just part of the conversation on innovation - they are helping shape it.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Access to healthcare can determine whether someone forced to flee can manage a chronic condition with dignity.

Partnerships that bring care closer to refugees and host communities are vital to inclusion and sustainable solutions in Kenya and across the region.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

For people forced to flee, managing diabetes or high blood pressure can be difficult when care is out of reach.

New UNHCR partnerships with @novonordiskfond, World Diabetes Foundation & @novonordisk aim to help change that across East Africa including🇰🇪
🔗https://t.co/iKFRzlcEiP

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Private sector leadership is essential if we are to move from assistance to opportunity.

Pleased to meet @uan_kenya today and discuss practical ways to connect refugees and host communities to skills, markets, jobs and services that help them stand on their own.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Today in Nairobi, UNHCR Kenya met with @uan_kenya to discuss how private sector partnerships can expand opportunities for refugees and host communities through education, health, agriculture, skills training and access to jobs and markets under the Shirika Plan.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Thank you @ItalyinKenya and @AICS_Nairobi 🇮🇹 for visiting Kakuma and engaging on inclusion and self-reliance priorities under KISEDP and the Shirika Plan.

UNHCR is grateful for the cooperation with 🇮🇹 in supporting refugees & hosts through govt-led and locally driven approaches.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

“It felt like a dream finally becoming real,” says Nyawaragak.

Education is a pathway to self-reliance and solutions. Proud to see 50 refugee and host community students in receive scholarships to study Community Health Nursing and help strengthen health services @Kmtc_official

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Behind every race is discipline, preparation and opportunity.
Proud of these refugee athletes as they compete in Ghana and continue their journey toward Dakar 2026.
Their talent, discipline and ambition deserve every opportunity to shine - and every pathway to build their future.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

“Now I hope to run my best time and reach the final.”

Perina Nakang is among refugee athletes competing in Ghana alongside Abdifatah, Dario, Solomon and Kun Waar Liam.

For refugee athletes, sport can open pathways to opportunity, confidence and self-reliance.

[SADC Secretariat @SADC_News]

#𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐂 𝐄𝐱��𝐜𝐮𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐂𝐑 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

#SADC Executive Secretary H.E. Mr. @EliasMagosi today received Dr. Mamadou Dian Balde, Director for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Bureau for the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, during a courtesy call at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana.

During the engagement, Dr. Balde formally presented his Letter of Credence following the transition of UNHCR’s regional oversight responsibilities for Southern Africa to the Regional Bureau for the East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes, effective 1 October 2025.

The meeting discussed areas of cooperation between SADC and UNHCR in addressing forced displacement, refugee protection, statelessness, and broader humanitarian challenges affecting the region.

Discussions also focused on the evolving displacement situation across the SADC region, including the humanitarian situation in Eastern DRC, and the importance of strengthening coordinated regional responses that promote protection, resilience, and sustainable solutions for affected communities.

The engagement reaffirmed the shared commitment of SADC and UNHCR to advancing humanitarian protection, regional solidarity, and support for displaced and vulnerable communities across Southern Africa.

#SADC #UNHCR #RegionalCooperation #HumanitarianProtection

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Today, I met with Ms. Mercy Mwasaru, Commissioner for Refugee Affairs to discuss shared priorities, including the resumption of services at the new Refugee Service Centre next week.

I also toured the centre, which will help bring services closer to refugees and asylum-seekers.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Grateful for Denmark’s continued partnership and support for refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities in Kenya.

Sustained collaboration remains vital as we work with the Government of Kenya and partners to advance protection, inclusion and solutions.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Our representative @FatimaMCole met with @denmarkinkenya to reaffirm our strong partnership with Denmark 🇩🇰.

We appreciate Denmark’s continued support in helping refugees, asylum seekers and host communities access protection, essential services and sustainable solutions.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Kenya has long shown leadership in refugee protection, hosting people forced to flee for decades.

As I begin this role, I look forward to supporting efforts that advance protection, inclusion and sustainable solutions for refugees and host communities.

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

Today, @FatimaMCole presented her credentials as UNHCR Representative in Kenya.

UNHCR Kenya looks forward to continued collaboration with the Government of Kenya, counties and partners to protect and support refugees, asylum-seekers and host communities.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

Indeed, Dadaab’s transformation from a protection site to a place of opportunity is worth investing in—enabling refugees and host communities to become self-reliant and contribute to national development.

[William Ejalu @wejalu]

This week, UNHCR Dadaab hosted a diverse private sector delegation in Dadaab, bringing together representatives from financial institutions, higher education institutions, private foundations, and leaders from the aviation industry. The visit provided an important opportunity to explore shared value partnerships that can support sustainable economic inclusion for refugees and host communities, while aligning with Kenya’s national development priorities.

The engagements were guided by the SHIRIKA Plan, Kenya’s transformative framework that seeks to transition refugee camps from reliance on humanitarian assistance into self‑sustaining economic ecosystems, integrated within county and national economies. Conversations were also anchored in the Garissa Integrated Socio‑Economic Development Plan (GISEDP) and the evolving strategic direction of the Dadaab Municipality, ensuring coherence between refugee response, local development planning, and private sector engagement.

A key component of the visit involved field‑based site visits and direct engagement with refugees. Delegates met refugee entrepreneurs, students, artisans, and community leaders to better understand lived experiences, aspirations, and the practical constraints faced in accessing finance, education, skills development, and markets. These exchanges were critical in grounding investment discussions in real-world opportunities and challenges, and in highlighting the resilience, talent, and entrepreneurial potential that already exists within Dadaab.

Through these interactions, the delegation gained insight into the breadth of opportunities across sectors such as financial inclusion, higher education pathways, skills and workforce mobility, logistics and aviation connectivity, renewable energy, and local enterprise development. Importantly, the discussions demonstrated how refugee and host community inclusion is not only a social imperative, but also an economic opportunity that can deliver measurable returns when supported by the right policies and partnerships.

Private sector investment remains a crucial accelerator for advancing this agenda. In close collaboration with the Government of Kenya, county authorities, development partners, and humanitarian actors, we are working to strengthen the enabling environment required for responsible investment, innovation, and long‑term sustainability.

Dadaab continues to evolve from a site of protection to a platform for investment, partnership, and inclusive growth, where refugees are not just beneficiaries, but active contributors to local and national development.

#SHIRIKA #GISEDP #PrivateSectorEngagement #SharedValue #RefugeeInclusion #EconomicInclusion #Dadaab #InvestmentForImpact #RefugeeVoices #Kenya

[William Ejalu @wejalu]

This week, I was honoured to welcome Ms. Mercy Mwasaru, Commissioner for the Department of Refugee Affairs, on her maiden visit to #Dadaab, a visit of real significance at a time when Kenya’s refugee response is undergoing a profound transition under the SHIRIKA Plan.

The visit went beyond formal engagements. It provided an important opportunity to align perspectives on the evolving refugee policy landscape, reaffirm shared responsibilities between national leadership and field operations, and reflect on how SHIRIKA’s shift from care and maintenance to inclusion, self‑reliance, and shared prosperity must be grounded in lived realities to deliver durable and dignified solutions for refugees and host communities.

The Commissioner’s engagement with partners through an inter‑agency roundtable further reinforced the spirit of SHIRIKA; collective leadership, coordinated action, and whole of system thinking. Discussions focused on the future of refugee affairs in Kenya, the operationalisation of development‑oriented approaches, and the need for innovation, accountability, and partnerships that endure beyond humanitarian cycles in protracted displacement contexts.

For over three decades, Dadaab has stood as a symbol of resilience, solidarity, and international cooperation. As Kenya advances bold policy frameworks that integrate humanitarian response with long‑term inclusion and socio‑economic integration, such high level visits matter. They anchor policy in practice and ensure that the voices, challenges, and aspirations of refugees and host communities remain central.
We look forward to working closely with the Commissioner and all stakeholders to translate shared policy vision into meaningful, lasting impact.

#SHIRIKAPlan #DurableSolutions #RefugeeInclusion #PolicyInPractice #Dadaab #RefugeeAffairs #WholeOfGovernment #HumanitarianDevelopmentPeace #RefugeeProtection #SharedResponsibility

[Mamadou Dian Balde @mamadou_dbalde]

Pleased to co-convene last week’s important regional conference on lasting solutions for Burundian refugees. 7 governments & partners, incl refugees, discussed how to turn commitments into actions to help our Burundian brothers and sisters live dignified lives & find solutions.

[Fatima Mohammed-Cole @FatimaMCole]

From Dadaab to new horizons. Today, courageous young refugees leave on scholarship to pursue secondary education. Their journey reminds us that talent and determination know no borders—only opportunity unlocks them. Wishing them every success. ✨📚

[UNHCR KENYA @UNHCR_Kenya]

“I am excited and scared at the same time.”

Born and raised in Dadaab, Bisharo is one of 245 refugee students leaving the camps to attend secondary schools across Kenya - opening doors to new opportunities for her and other students.

Read more 🔗https://t.co/GH8EN9PT5M

[UNHCR Burundi @UNHCR_Burundi]

Mme Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Haut Commissaire Assistante chargée de la Protection était en visite à Musenyi.

À l’écoute des réfugiés, elle a reconnu les défis et réaffirmé l’engagement du HCR à intensifier le plaidoyer pour la protection et la mobilisation de financements.