For people forced to flee and the communities that host them, connectivity is a lifeline. Meaningful connectivity enables access to education, health services, livelihoods, protection, and participation in society, while also providing life-saving information, including early warnings in times of emergencies. However, forcibly displaced populations face significant barriers to accessing digital infrastructure and service.
The majority of refugees reside in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), where infrastructure and service availability are often limited. This creates heightened vulnerability and restricts access to opportunities that are critical for safety, self-reliance, and social inclusion. Addressing connectivity gaps in these settings is therefore both urgent and strategic.
The Connectivity for Refugees (CfR) is a multi-stakeholder initiative advancing the availability and affordability of connectivity for 20 million forcibly displaced people and their host communities by 2030. The initiative is founded by ITU, UNHCR, GSMA, and the Government of Luxembourg.
The pillars
| The intervention areas
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- Understand local challenges – Identify connectivity needs and barriers in refugee and host communities.
- Coordinate ecosystem stakeholders – Align governments, private sector, and humanitarian actors.
- Deploy innovative solutions – Implement context-specific, equitable, and sustainable connectivity solutions.
- Scale what works – Apply best practices and lessons learned to expand successful interventions.
- Advocate for sustainable outcomes – Promote long-term, inclusive connectivity policies and frameworks
| - Inclusion – Advocating for legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks that guarantee refugees’ right to connect.
- Access – Expanding infrastructure and networks to reach both individuals and community spaces, including schools, health centers, and markets.
- Uptake – Supporting energy access, devices, digital skills, and affordability to ensure meaningful and sustained use of connectivity services.
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