Congolese refugees at Kiziba Refugee Camp, Karongi District, have been warned against degrading the environment in and around the camp. The warning came when a high-level delegation led by the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Gen Marcel Gatsinzi, during a visit to the camp on Tuesday. The UNHCR country representative, Neimah Warsame, expressed concern over the situation in the camp, which she said was worsening by the day.She noted that the big number of people in the camp is in itself a threat to the environment. “I don’t think the other 13 sectors of this district have as many problems as those at Kiziba [camp]…we need to come together and see how we can solve this (environmental)-issue,” Warsame said.The Governor of the Western Province, Celestin Kabahizi, expressed the same worries, noting that the continued degradation of the environment in the camp does long term damage to the whole area. He called for action against environmental degradation.During the visit, the officials planted trees in an intitiave aimed at ecouraging reforestation in the camp’s 27 hectares.“You should not regard this as a symbolic gesture but as an example you should emulate,” said Minister Gatsinzi.He warned the refugees against cutting down trees saying efforts to safeguard the environment will mainly benefit them.“I hope to see this place reforested so that instead of seeing the white sheets covering your houses, one sees green scenery,” Gatsinzi said.He urged the refugees to use energy saving stoves to reduce the amount of firewood they use and called for more efforts to protect against erosion, emphasising the need to harvest water from their roof tops.“Of course you need firewood but you cannot use that as an excuse to cut each and every tree,” he said.The minister later unveiled a plan to introduce use of biogas at the camp in order to cut down on use of firewood.The programme which is being developed by Karongi District authorities in partnership with the UNHCR, MIDIMAR and other partners, is expected to reduce the use of fire woods by 22 per cent. During the same event, Gatsinzi commissioned eco-friendly and hygienic latrines worth $20 000 constructed under the financial support of the Church of Jesus Christ LatterDays Saint (LDS). The toilets are expected to improve sanitation and hygienic conditions inside the camp while ensuring safety for refugees.Over 18 000 Congolese refugees live at Kiziba camp. Many of them arrived in Rwanda as early as 1996 following outbreak of wars in eastern DR Congo.
