Waste Management Programme in Refugee Settings, a new initiative piloting in Ethiopia, Chad, and Mauritania, UNHCR, 18/02/2026

UNHCR is launching the Waste Management Programme in Refugee Settings, a new initiative piloting in Ethiopia, Chad, and Mauritania to reduce and minimize environmental impacts across its supply chain. You can find more details in the UNHCR Waste Management Programme Concept Note.

1) First pilot: Ethiopia – Workshop Announcement

As part of the Ethiopia pilot, UNHCR will host the WISE CIRCLE Initiative Workshop (hybrid format) on:

• Addis Ababa (venue TBC)
• Monday, 09 March 2026
• 09:00–17:00h (Ethiopia time)
• Participants: this workshop is designed for field practitioners in Ethiopia and the Somali Region who are engaged or interested in waste management in humanitarian settings.

Please note:

• Participation is limited to 30 in‑person and 20 online participants.
• Registration is on a first‑come, first‑served basis; therefore, we encourage you to submit your form as soon as possible.
• Due to limited space, registration does not guarantee in‑person participation.
• If you prefer to attend in person, please indicate this. If you are available for both in‑person and online participation, please select both options – this will help us manage space while still ensuring you can join remotely if needed.

Kindly complete the registration form by 27 February: UNHCR Waste Management in Refugee Settings Workshop: Ethiopia (WISE CIRCLE) – Fill out form. Further details – including the agenda, preparatory materials, and the connection link – will be shared with confirmed participants.

2) About the Ethiopia Pilot

The Ethiopia pilot focuses on the Melkadida and Jiijiga refugee camps in Somali Region, aiming to identify waste management gaps and solutions in place and engaging different partners to build a sustainable solution which can strengthen the management of waste in these two locations. A joint mapping and assessment mission will analyse needs and current initiatives in the region. Findings will feed into a roadmap and action plan for piloting practical, circular, and sustainable waste solutions.

Through the WISE CIRCLE initiative (Waste Innovation for Sustainable Emergencies & Collaborative Initiative for Resource & Circular Economy), UNHCR, the Logistics Cluster (WREC), UNHRD, and WFP are working together to build shared approaches and avoid duplicating parallel activities – supporting more collective and sustainable solutions.

3) Project presentation

The UNHCR project will also be presented globally (online) at the next WREC Waste Management Coordination Group meeting on the 25 February, at 16h Ethiopia time (14h CET): registration link