The Government of The Gambia, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS), has signed a landmark Project Cooperation Agreement to launch a $699,425 humanitarian initiative.
The initiative is aimed at supporting refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and host communities nationwide.
The agreement, signed in Banjul, brings together key national institutions including the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, the Gambia Refugee Commission, and the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA). The six-month ECOWAS-funded project is expected to benefit more than 2,100 vulnerable individuals across all seven regions of The Gambia.
Under the new arrangement, the Gambia Red Cross Society will serve as the lead implementing agency, coordinating closely with NaNA, the Gambia Refugee Commission, and the Ministry of Trade to ensure effective and transparent service delivery. The project will provide cash assistance to vulnerable households, construct solar-powered boreholes to improve access to clean and safe water, and establish community gardens in Foni to enhance food security and promote sustainable livelihoods.
Beyond immediate humanitarian relief, the initiative seeks to build long-term resilience and foster social cohesion among affected communities. It will support the creation of community engagement platforms, offer protection training for local authorities, and promote peaceful coexistence between refugees and their host populations.
Officials described the agreement as a major step in The Gambia’s ongoing commitment to inclusive humanitarian action and regional cooperation. It also reinforces ECOWAS’s mandate to help member states address displacement and humanitarian challenges through coordinated and people-centered approaches.
“This initiative represents our shared responsibility to protect human dignity and promote security for all affected populations,” the partners affirmed in a joint statement during the signing ceremony.
