Food rations for refugees reduced

The World Food Programme has decided to reduce food rations for refugees in the country by 25 per cent.The UN agency has in the recent past unsuccessfully sought for international intervention to feed the refugees. “The food rations will be reduced by 25 per cent beginning this month due to inadequate funds,” John Paul Sesonga, WFP Communication Officer, disclosed to The New Times.WFP is still seeking for support to cover a critical shortfall of 3,000 metric tonnes of assorted commodities valued at US$ 4 million, which is the sum needed to feed 57,641 refugees — most of them Congolese — until December 2012.The official clarified that the reduction would only affect maize and bean rations.Apparently, each refuge in the camp has been getting 410 grams of maize per day meaning that in a month, each one of them was entitled to about 12.3 kilogrammes of maize which is now envisaged to drop to 9.8 kilogrammes. Beans are expected to slump to 2.7 kilograms from 3.6 kilogrammes per month.The oil ration will remain at 30 grammes and salt at five grammes.The reduction will not affect Rwandan returnees and children under two years as well as pregnant mothers.The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs, Antoine Ruvebana, said that some countries had pledged to provide funds.“The Canadian government has promised us $1 million and USA has pledged to provide us with food, we are confident that the reduction might only be effected this month”, he said.Ruvebana is currently on a tour of all the four camps in the country to inform refugees of the impending reduction of the rations.Some of the camps harbouring refugees include Gihembe in Gicumbi District, Kiziba in Karongi District, Nyabiheke in Gatsibo District and Kigeme in Nyamagabe District.Others are Nkamira Transit Centre in the Western Province and another one in Kigali City.Rwanda hosts nearly 60,000 refugees, 99 per cent of whom are Congolese nationals.

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Food rations for refugees reduced