World Refugee Day to be marked in Mahama Camp

Rwanda will today join the rest of the world to mark the World Refugee Day. At the country level, the event will be held in the newly established Mahama camp, which accommodates Burundian refugees, in Kirehe District. This year’s World Refugee Day will be marked under the theme “Refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.” “The Day remains an opportunity to honour the courage and determination of millions of individuals including men, women and children forced to flee their countries for fear of persecution and violence,” reads part of a statement from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDMAR). According to the statement, the global theme aims to build compassion by reducing the distance between those privileged to be living in peace and security and forcibly displaced refugees. “It intends to break down the barriers and highlight similarities and common experiences that we all share.” As part of the Day’s activities, Government officials will be joined by representatives of partners such as UNHCR and other UN agencies in community work to help put up shelter for Burundian refugees. Rwanda is home to over 100,000 refugees including 73,786 Congolese, over 32,000 Burundians, and 41 of other various nationalities. They are hosted in six main camps namely; Kiziba in Karongi, Gihembe in Gicumbi District, Nyabiheke in Gatsibo District, Kigeme in Nyamagabe District, Mugombwa in Gisagara District and Mahama in Kirehe District. The Burundians are the latest refugee arivals as they have fled from political crisis back home. UNHCR says as many as 59.5 million people globally had been forced out of their homes by the end of 2014, with 38.2 million of them displaced with in their respective countries’ borders.

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World Refugee Day to be marked in Mahama Camp