This week, our colleague Thomas Petracek, Head of Programs at ADRA Europe, participates in the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. On the occasion of this event, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) have reported significant progress in fulfilling its pledges under the UNHCR Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). From Latin America to Southeast Asia, ADRA’s humanitarian and development projects have directly impacted hundreds of thousands of refugees, stateless persons, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host community members, reaffirming its mission to serve humanity so all may live as God intended.
ADRA has participated in both the 2019 and 2023 Global Refugee Forums, affirming its commitment to enhancing international cooperation and responsibility sharing to improve the lives of refugees, IDPs, and the communities that host them. A total of eight pledges were made at the various GRFs, all of which have been fulfilled.
These pledges provide humanitarian and development support across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, reaching more than one million refugees, internally displaced individuals, stateless persons, and host community members. ADRA’s faith-driven mission and multi-stakeholder partnerships have enabled impactful, locally grounded responses that promote dignity, resilience, and inclusion through programming in education, food security, livelihoods, community cohesion, advocacy, legal identity, and protection.
Latin America
Countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Beyond fulfilling its GRF Pledges, ADRA’s commitment to supporting people on the move remains resolute.
A key example is the regional ADRA Protection Points initiative, which operates in Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, and will soon be expanded to Haiti. Since its inception in 2022, the program has served beneficiaries from more than 65 countries and provided ongoing protection services to 133,520 individuals. The initiative has also attracted strong institutional donor support, enabling ADRA to reach an additional 220,000 people with lifesaving services in health, livelihoods, and education.
Through multi-sectoral programming in health, protection, education, and livelihoods, ADRA supported refugees, migrants, and host communities affected by economic instability, insecurity, and climate shocks. In total, ADRA reached thousands of vulnerable people, helping them access essential services, restore their dignity, and strengthen resilience.
Through partnerships with local organizations and UN agencies, ADRA also promoted social inclusion and protection for people on the move while supporting host communities in managing ongoing migration pressures and laying the groundwork for lasting stability.
Horn of Africa
Countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda
In Eastern Africa, ADRA continued to strengthen the resilience of refugees, returnees, and host communities by delivering humanitarian assistance. In Ethiopia, programming in the Gambela region reached 287,003 beneficiaries, supporting agricultural livelihoods, peacebuilding, and community recovery. In Uganda, within the Kyaka refugee settlement—home to over 134,000 refugees—ADRA provided health services to 13,310 individuals and supported an additional 2,447 beneficiaries through food assistance and farming initiatives.
In South Sudan, where more than 256,000 refugees and returnees reside, 6,156 people received life-saving cash and protection support. In Kenya, ADRA reached 24,000 refugees and host community members in Kakuma, enhancing food security, social cohesion, and household resilience. In Somalia, ADRA served 117,208 learners through education programs that supported IDPs, refugees, returnees, and vulnerable host community members, promoting access to quality education and gender equity in learning.
Collectively, ADRA’s work across these five countries restored dignity, improved well-being, and built pathways to sustainable recovery for vulnerable populations affected by conflict, displacement, and climate shocks.
Europe and Eurasia
Countries: Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine
Emergency assistance, delivered through direct aid, was provided to 216,000 people by 51 ADRA-trained emergency responders across six countries. With the support of ADRA volunteers and the ADRA network, food, cash, and shelter were provided to 495,000 people through 62 distribution centers, supporting vulnerable communities in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson. A further 86,000 people received psychosocial support.
Through education protection programs for refugees, about 2,245 children were reached, and 2,187 benefited from psychosocial and language programs delivered by ADRA in partnership with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Ukraine Adventist Center for Higher Education. These programs safeguarded children’s rights and ensured continuity of learning.
Asia and the Pacific
Countries: Myanmar, Thailand
Food, hygiene kits, and educational materials were provided to 18,000 IDPs, while access to education through education-in-emergencies programming reached 24,462 refugee students.
On localization in displacement and statelessness responses—beyond joining the Global Alliance to End Statelessness—ADRA serves on the steering committee of the regional coalition to end statelessness in Asia and the Pacific, which hosts over 58% of the known stateless population. Through advocacy and support for organizations led by impacted persons and civil society, ADRA has assisted the Royal Thai Government in the citizenship and permanent residency determination process for 88,538 individuals, contributing to their national pledge.
ADRA’s fulfillment of all its GRF pledges reflects a deep commitment to localized, inclusive, and faith-informed humanitarian action. With pledges fully implemented across all regions, ADRA continues to build resilience, restore dignity, and promote sustainable development for refugees and stateless populations.
“Our pledges to the Global Compact on Refugees represent ADRA’s enduring mission to restore dignity and opportunity for displaced communities,” said Dr. Akintayo Odeyemi, Director, ADRA UN Liaison Office. “Through partnerships, compassion, and faith, we are empowering individuals to rebuild their lives with hope.”
ADRA remains steadfast in collaborating with UNHCR, governments, and local organizations to implement durable solutions for refugees and host communities. The agency continues to expand its work in education, livelihoods, and protection across more than 118 countries worldwide.
For more information, visit www.adra.org.
Source: Original article by ADRA International – ADRA International Delivers Global Impact Through Refugee Pledges