FAO–UNHCR Collaboration Framework

Building on their respective mandates and comparative advantages, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) are joining forces to support durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and other war-affected communities across Ukraine. The partnership combines UNHCR’s expertise in protection, housing, and durable solutions with FAO’s leadership in agrifood systems, livelihoods, and rural resilience. Together, the two agencies promote an integrated approach that addresses key barriers to sustainable recovery, including access to housing, livelihood opportunities, and essential services. The collaboration follows a Humanitarian – Development – Peace Nexus approach, supporting displaced and host communities through coordinated, area-based interventions that strengthen community resilience, self-reliance, and social cohesion. Interventions will be informed by UNHCR’s forecasting model on return dynamics and displacement trends and complemented by FAO’s data on the impact of the war and the status of farming households and smallholder producers, helping ensure that investments and activities respond to anticipated population movements, local recovery needs, and the evolving priorities of displaced and returning populations. Targeting will be informed by joint needs-based assessments and criteria, ensuring that interventions respond to differentiated needs while contributing to shared outcomes. Key elements of the collaboration include: • Supporting durable solutions for displaced and war-affected populations • Strengthening housing, livelihoods, and access to essential services • Promoting self-reliance, economic inclusion and local recovery • Enhancing community resilience and social cohesion • Supporting local authorities and community-based structures to deliver sustainable solutions • Applying evidence-based planning and forecasting to inform recovery and durable solutions pr