The European Commission yesterday honoured its pledge of over €1.5 million (more than Rwf1 billion) toward support for Rwanda’s assistance and protection of Burundian refugees.

The donation was announced early last month.

During the handover in Kigali, it was explained that UNHCR will get €1 million and the World Food Programme (WFP) the balance.

UNHCR Country Representative Saber Azam thanked the EU for what he termed as a "prompt contribution that comes at the initial stages of the emergency.”

"The European Union and ECHO (EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department) are not just contributing financially to ease the plight of the needy people but they are also strongly supporting on the political arena in finding a solution for the crisis. Their technical assistance to the UNHCR is also of great appreciation,” Azam said.

ECHO director for humanitarian operations Jean-Louis de Brouwer, who was beginning a three-day regional visit on a fact-finding mission, said he was impressed by the response of the humanitarian community and the Government of Rwanda.

"The situation remains unstable, fragile, and the international community is engaging stakeholders to find a solution,” he said.

"More support is yet to come. More countries will come forward, including from EU member states, which will top up but they will announce the figures when the time comes.”

On Monday, UNHCR, alongside other UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, briefed members of the donor and diplomatic community on the inter-agency appeal—Burundi Refugee Response Plan for Rwanda (RRP)—to protect and assist Burundian refugees in the country.

Azam could not put a finger onhow much has been contributed and what is needed but he noted that UN agencies in Rwanda have planned for 100,000 Burundian refugees entering the country between April and September.

"For these, the entire need has been estimated at around $100 million,” he said, pointing to the total need of all humanitarian agencies involved in the Rwandan operation.

According to the Burundi regional RRP, from April to September 2015, financial requirements totaling $206 million were estimated for 200,000 planned Burundian refugees in Rwanda, Tanzania and DR Congo.

The Rwanda response plan alone pointed to $99 million in financial requirements for food, livelihood, shelter, infrastructure, non-food relief items, and logistics and transport, among others.

More than 31,000 refugees have so far entered Rwanda but those settled in urban areas are yet to be counted.

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