For more than 120 million forcibly displaced people around the world,* connectivity, access to affordable data and devices, and digital skills are no longer just a nice to have. They are a necessity. Jobs, education, banking, and even staying in touch with family all increasingly depend on connectivity and digital platforms. In times of crisis, digital access can mean the difference between isolation and opportunity.

But the reality is striking. Every year without connectivity deepens exclusion and limits the chances for people to rebuild their lives in a new place. 

There is a clear opportunity to accelerate digitalization for one of society’s most vulnerable populations—and the communities that host them—to ensure they can participate fully in today’s connected world. Technology is advancing, costs are coming down, and in many cases the private sector is starting to see potential. Research shows that in Ethiopia, refugee inflows boost host economies by diversifying livelihoods and increasing trade. Imagine the potential gains if both refugee and host communities were fully digitally enabled, unlocking even broader economic opportunities.

Advancing digital inclusion and rural connectivity

Digitalization can enable displaced people to access health services, cash transfers, education, and jobs. Host communities can benefit too since investments in these often-underserved areas expand networks and services for everyone. To realize these benefits, the World Bank Group is supporting countries to take action in four complementary areas:

Improving the enabling environment. Removing legal and regulatory barriers that prevent forcibly displaced people from connecting, transacting, and working is foundational to their economic inclusion. Kenya and Uganda have updated regulations to allow refugees to register for SIM cards to connect their phones to the network using their UNHCR-issued IDs, while Somalia has welcomed innovative satellite providers to help extend broadband connectivity to hard-to-reach settlements. Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, the National ID Program (Fayda) - supported by the World Bank Group and implemented in collaboration with the National Identity Program (NIDP), the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS), and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency – is enabling refugees and hosts to get a digitally verifiable ID, allowing them to access social protection, bank accounts, and small-business finance, and its Refugees Proclamation allows refugees to access formal employment and establish their own businesses, making them active contributors to the economy.

Strengthening the foundational Infrastructure. Since many refugee-hosting areas are rural borderlands with little or no service, expanding affordable broadband and reliable energy there both connects forcibly displaced people and improves rural connectivity for host communities. In South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia, the World Bank Group is supporting the extension of backbone fiber and last-mile connectivity as well as the establishment of shared digital hubs to advance inclusion of refugees while contributing to universal service goals. Using schools, clinics, and community associations as anchor clients and Wi-Fi hubs to create steady demand helps strengthening the business case for the private sector to extend networks into refugee-hosting areas.

Supporting affordable devices and digital skills. Because high device costs and low digital literacy block digitalization for refugees and host communities, cutting the price of phones and laptops and building safe-use skills is essential to unlocking opportunities. In Ethiopia, the World Bank Group is supporting digital literacy training, public Wi-Fi and community access points, and low-cost and pre-paid internet service to forcibly displaced persons to widen participation. In other places, device affordability schemes are gaining momentum. If done for forcibly displaced populations, such programs could include digital literacy training, addressing two key hurdles at once.

Driving services uptake and use. Limited access to—and awareness of—digital services and platforms holds back the benefits of connectivity. Partnering with digital payments providers, ed-tech firms, and jobs platforms to deliver relevant bundles— as well as awareness campaigns and user onboarding—in refugee-hosting areas is essential to drive productive use and ensure that expanded access and better regulation translate into improved lives and greater self-reliance.

No Single Owner: Why Digitalization for Displaced People Requires Collective Leadership

Getting digital inclusion right for displaced people and host communities requires governments, humanitarian actors, and the private sector to work together to unlock collaborative approaches to finding solutions. In many cases, digitalization for the forcibly displaced lacks a clear institutional home or hub for coordination.

Digital ministries, understandably, focus on digitalization of core public services and the wider economy. In some cases, they unintentionally leave forcibly displaced people behind. Meanwhile, refugee agencies prioritize immediate needs like food and shelter over digitalization. But as displacement becomes more protracted, digital inclusion for forcibly displaced persons and host communities must be part of national development.

And with the right collaboration and policies in place, extending coverage in refugee-hosing areas can make both commercial and social sense, since refugees are active consumers. In Tanzania’s Nyarugusu camp, for example, refugees spend slightly more per month on credit and data than the national average, showing clear, sustainable demand.  

Complementary Strengths: Financing, Policy, and On-the-Ground Expertise                                                                                            

The World Bank Group and UNHCR are stepping up collaboration—pooling financing, data, and expertise to support countries in expanding digital inclusion.

The World Bank Group contributes financing, such as through IDA’s Window for Host Communities and Refugees, expertise in infrastructure, and policy dialogue. This includes addressing the impacts and drivers of fragility, conflict, and violence, which are often at the root of forced displacement. UNHCR, for its part, brings proximity to refugee hosting areas and communities, vital data on community needs and protection and inclusion expertise, as well as deep knowledge and experience with innovative approaches for digitalizing the lives of forcibly displaced persons, through the Innovation Service. 

A recent joint workshop in Nairobi brought together governments, regulators, the private sector, and humanitarian agencies from Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, and Kenya to craft solutions tailored to the realities on the ground.

Digital inclusion without borders

If we want to secure a digital future that leaves no one behind, forcibly displaced people must be included from the very start. It's not only the right thing to do but also a smart policy. They bring skills and resilience that strengthen economies, enrich communities, and drive innovation. They are also catalysts for more connected, adaptive, and sustainable societies. Forcibly displaced people tend to be seen as mere recipients of  support. It is time we thought of them as essential partners in building a truly inclusive digital future.

*including refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs)

This blog draws on the work and insights of World Bank colleagues—including Thomas Chalumeau, Julia Clark, Marie Eichholzer, Luda Bujoreanu, Naomi Halewood, Tim Kelly, Victor Kyalo, and many others—on lessons from our collaborations with governments to advance digital inclusion for forcibly displaced people, and on our partnership with UNHCR’s Innovation Office and the multi-stakeholder Connectivity for Refugees initiative.