RWANDA will continue to make necessary efforts to ensure that the thousands of refugees who have sought refuge in the country remain safe and secure, the Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, has said.

She was speaking on Friday as the country joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Refugee Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of refugees throughout the world.

Mugombwa refugee camp, the country’s newest refugee settlement located in Nyamagabe District hosted the day’s national  celebrations while smaller events were also held in other camps across the country.

Mugombwa is home to about 7,300 Congolese refugees. Guests at the event were treated to a mixture of songs, dance, choreography and plays, karate and acrobatic games by young refugees.

Three refugees who have showed commitment to transforming lives in the camp were also awarded. The day was held under the theme: "One family torn apart by war is too many.”

Mukantabana observed that this year’s theme "is an opportunity to highlight key protection challenges such as creating a safe environment for children, ensuring access to healthcare and education and facilitating family reunification.”

She said the Refugee Day, which has been observed around the world since 2001, is an occasion to draw the public’s attention to the millions of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) worldwide.

Rwanda is home to over 73,000 refugees the majority of whom are natives of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are sheltered in five camps.

"Today, at this very crucial occasion, we want to revive the hopes of thousands of refugees who have spent more than 17 years in exile and whose hope to return home  keeps fading,” Mukantabana said.

"As government, we feel the sentiments in such a situation where people are separated from their families and live as destitutes in areas far away from home,” she added.

Mukantabana told guests and refugees that Rwanda had taken measures to ensure refugees’ safety and welfare.

"Through the community integrated approach already established, we shall continue to deploy necessary efforts to ensure that programmes meant to improve the welfare of Rwandans also benefit refugees, especially in the areas of education, health, nutrition and GBV prevention,” she pledged.

UNHCR deputy country representative Matthew Crentsil commended the government for supporting  and assisting refugees.

"Rwanda has consistently kept its borders open to refugees and has always ensured their well-being,” Crentsil said.

Increasing number

Innocent Kabera, a refugee, said: "Though you cannot enjoy being a refugee, we appreciate the reception and support we have received from the Rwandan government.”

"We are here in search of security. We also optimistic that  one day, our country will stabilise and allow us to go back home,” Kabera said.

Meanwhile UNHCR has warned that the numbers of refugees continue to increase around the world.

In a statement released on Friday, the UN agency announced that the number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people worldwide has for the first time in the post-World War II era, exceeded 50 million people.

The massive increase was driven mainly by the war in Syria, which by the end of last year had forced 2.5 million people into becoming refugees and made 6.5 million internally displaced, UNHCR says.

Major new displacements were also witnessed in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, it adds.

"We are seeing here the immense costs of unending wars, of failing to resolve or prevent conflict,” the statement quotes the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres as saying.

 "Peace is dangerously in deficit today. Humanitarians can help us palliatively but political solutions are needed. Without this, the alarming levels of conflict and immense suffering will continue,” Guterres said.