UNHCR concerned over influx of refugees

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over the impact of inflow of Congolese nationals into Rwanda, pointing out that Nkamira Transit Centre, where the refugees are currently sheltered is too inadequate.The UNHCR country representative, Neimah Warsame, yesterday told The New Times that more refugees continued to stream into the camp, adding that there was need to expand the facility to ensure the wellbeing of the refugees.“Nkamira Transit Camp lacks adequate capacity to accommodate the refugees. Thus, there is need to expand the camp,” she stressed. The camp is supposed to accommodate 2,600 people. However, since yesterday at 3pm, the UN refugee agency had received more than 3,000 refugees from various parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo fleeing violence due to fighting between the DRC army and CNDP rebels. “If we can quickly put up the new structures that can at least accommodate 3,000 more, it would be fine,” Warsame opined.“We need to immediately work on toilets, kitchens, lighting, and showers to accommodate refugees in order to address the issue of hygiene and sanitation to avoid diseases”.More than 60 per cent of the refugees presently at the camp are children and women.So far, the UNHCR, in conjunction with other UN agencies and the government, are providing the refugees with shelter, food, water among other basic amenities.The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Antoine Ruvebana, pointed out that all partners had agreed to expand the camp to accommodate more refugees.“We have today stated rehabilitating and constructing the new blocks in the empty space in the camp and I am sure that by the end of this week, all the problems of accommodation will be solved,” he said, adding that they intend to add three more blocks to the camp. In spite of the latest developments, several refugees interviewed by The New Times expressed concern over food adequacy as well as heavy rains currently pounding the area.“The problem now is whether I will get enough food for my kids because it seems more Congolese are continuing to stream in (to the camp),” Alice Furaha, a mother of two, bemoaned. However, John Paul Sesonga, a Communications Officer with the World Food Programme, said they had enough food to serve all the refugees in the camp, stating that they should not be worried.

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UNHCR concerned over influx of refugees