The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the East African Community (EAC) have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at addressing the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP) in the region.

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and EAC Secretary General Juma Mwapachu signed the memorandum of understanding on the sideline of the African Union Special Summit on forced displacement in Africa, which is taking place here on Thursday and Friday.

According to the agreement, the two organizations will join efforts to promote human rights, peace building and developing early-warning systems. "The new agreement will enhance collaboration between the two organizations in areas of common concern with the ultimate aim of strengthening the protection of forcibly displaced people," a statement from the refugee agency said.

EAC members, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi, are some of the largest refugee hosting countries in Africa. According to UNHCR figures, more than 320,000 refugees have fled to Kenya, Tanzania hosts almost 287,000 and Uganda more than 162, 000.