Burundian and Congolese refugees in Rwanda need ‘sustained’ help, according to the UN agency in charge of refugee affairs.

Erika Fitzpatrick, UNHCR Rwanda Associate Reporting Officer, told Sunday Times that the number of "active” Burundian refugees in Rwanda now stood at 77,678 individuals in 31,586 households.

Congolese refugees also total 74,587, implying that Rwanda now hosts more than 152, 200 refugees from the two countries.

And the number keeps increasing since a daily average of 25 Burundians trickling into Rwanda is still being registered by the UNHCR. 

The refugees’ most pressing needs in both camps, she said, are support in building additional classrooms to continue integrating them into the Rwanda national curriculum, hiring teachers, paying for uniforms, text books and other scholastic needs.

"We are also in need of fixing dischargeable latrines in Congolese camps so that there are proper sanitation facilities for refugees and it will help prevent communicable diseases,” Fitzpatrick said.

The refugees’ most pressing needs, Fitzpatrick noted, include rehabilitation of shelters, latrines, roads and other basics "due to the heavy rains.”

According to the UNHCR’s January – December 2016 Regional Refugee Response Plan document, the agency’s Rwanda response plan alone indicates Financial Requirements totaling US$94,521,989, with 19 percent of it planned for operational support, 16 percent in shelter and non food items, 13 percent for food, 12 percent for health and nutrition, and the rest going towards, livelihood and education.

Fitzpatrick said: "We have a total need of $94.5 million just for the Burundi response in Rwanda alone”.

So far, only $16.2 million has been raised. 

"Needs for Congolese refugees are $35,955,380 million. We have raised six million. Needs for WFP for Congolese is $19 million and they have raised $4.5 million.”

"We, together with partners, hope to have a fundraising event with donors in early June before World Refugee Day.”

Rwanda calls for restoration of peace, security

Antoine Ruvebana, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR), pointed to education after primary school, health assistance for accessing referral hospitals’ services, change in diet and special food for children and the elderly, and clothing as some of the most pressing needs for the refugees.

But, according to Ruvebana, what the international community principally needs to do is: "To contribute more to bringing back peace and security in regions where refugees come from so that they go back home.

"This is because whatever we give them in terms of assistance would not compensate what they stand to gain in their respective countries”. 

Meanwhile, regional efforts to pacify Burundi continue as an inter-Burundi dialogue was scheduled to take place yesterday, Saturday, to Tuesday at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC), in Tanzania. The inter-Burundi dialogue will be chaired by former Tanzania President Benjamin William Mkapa.

Early last year, Rwanda started to experience a sudden mass influx of refugees from Burundi, fleeing election-related violence. Under the leadership and coordination of the Ministry for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) and the UNHCR, an interagency multi-sectoral response was initiated from the outset of the emergency, including participation from UN agencies and national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Basic services are established in all sites including shelter, primary healthcare, vaccination, and reproductive health services. Access to water and sanitation facilities is ensured.

Among others, the government of Rwanda has a policy of integrating refugees into national health systems, and as such, refugees are referred to local health facilities for secondary and tertiary referrals.

The integration of Burundian refugee students into the Rwandan education system is almost complete. Since July 2015, all Burundian children of school-going age started going through a five-month induction programme aimed at acquainting them with the Rwandan education system before starting school this year.

According to the latest UNICEF Rwanda Humanitarian Situation Report, currently, 19,422 students are enrolled in Primary One to Secondary Six.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw