With the number of forcibly displaced persons caught in protracted displacement situations on the rise, it is increasingly evident that a humanitarian response focusing on the short term is inadequate. Accordingly, a growing global consensus recognizes that displacement requires a joint humanitarian and development response, underpinned by long-term planning and programming for solutions.

With support from Trickle Up, in 2013 UNHCR adopted the Graduation Approach as a vehicle to enhance international protection and improve refugees’ prospects for solutions. Through the Graduation Approach, UNHCR and its partners set out to increase self-reliance and resilience among refugees and host community members living in extreme poverty.