UNHCR TT discontinues COVID-19 food support programme
December 28th, 2022
UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, is mandated to protect people forced to flee and help find durable solutions so they can live in safety and with access to their rights.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as governments around the world – including Trinidad and Tobago – implemented lockdown procedures to mitigate the spread of the virus, UNHCR noted that food security would be fundamental to the well-being of the thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers we protect in the country.
As part of its pandemic response in April 2020, UNHCR mobilized emergency funding, and in partnership with Living Water Community (LWC), sought to provide immediate relief via hampers and vouchers to the most vulnerable in the community, many of whom were unable to earn a living because of the lockdown and restrictions on various sectors.
Since then, UNHCR and LWC have supported over 6,000 refugee, migrant, and local households with food assistance, allowing them to focus on other aspects of daily life, including seeking livelihoods opportunities.
Now that most countries have moved beyond the initial protocols instituted for the pandemic and as life returns to pre-pandemic routines, from January 1, 2023, UNHCR will discontinue our emergency food assistance. UNHCR, LWC, and other humanitarian partners remain committed to providing essential support services to refugees and migrants, as well as advocating for enhanced protection systems for people who have been forcibly displaced. For more information on the services UNHCR and our partners offer or to provide your feedback, please visit: https://help.unhcr.org/trinidadandtobago/.
UNHCR office hours for the holiday season
December 21st, 2022
The UNHCR Registration Centre will be open on Friday 23 December and Friday 30 December 2022, to people with registration and interview appointments.
Walk-ins will not be accepted after 1pm.
In observance of the holiday season the UNHCR office will be closed on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 December 2022. Normal office hours will resume on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 December 2022.
Update to UNHCR’s Office Number
November 9th, 2021
UNHCR’s main office phone number has changed to 610-POCS (7627). The previous number, 235-3810 has been discontinued. For general enquiries, please contact the new office number.