In February, there were reports that 500 South Sudanese returned from Uganda, 200 from Ethiopia and 100 from DRC. Although there is neither facilitation nor promotion of refugee returns to South Sudan, as the current conditions are not yet conducive for durable, safe and dignified returns, UNHCR recognizes the refugees’ right to return and has protection mandate for monitoring refugee returns, including those that return in a self-organized manner

UNICEF & UNHCR held a Regional meeting on the Global Compact On Refugees (GCR) and application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) in Eastern and Southern Africa (16 and 17 April 2019)

Japan contributes USD 7.5 Million to Support Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda. The support will go to five UN agencies including; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS).

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has also not seen any marked improvement and remains dire. Internal and external displacement continues. The Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda host a total of 2.28 million refugees from South Sudan.

For returns to Burundi to be sustainable, more investment in areas where refugees are returning is desperately needed. While UNHCR is not promoting refugee returns to Burundi at this point in time, UNHCR and partners are providing assistance to those who indicate they have made an informed choice to voluntarily repatriate.

In 2018, across the region, RRP partners achieved a number of tangible results for South Sudanese refugees, including: the provision of food assistance to 1.23 million people, assisted deliveries for 23,000 South Sudanese mothers, support and care provided to 100 per cent of identified survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and the provision of core relief items for 165,000 refugee families.

Despite considerable underfunding, RRRP partners were able to support Burundian refugees in a number of key areas in 2018. Achievements include access to primary schooling for 43,695 Burundian refugee children (69 per cent), assisted deliveries for 96 per cent of pregnant Burundian women, provision of food assistance to all refugees in need of food and relatively low rates of global acute malnutrition among children six months to five years across the region.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency welcomes South Sudan’s ground-breaking accession to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, also known as the Kampala Convention. The Kampala Convention is the first and only regional legally binding instrument for the protection and assistance of internally displaced persons, which incorporates the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.

8,253 Burundian refugees have been assisted to voluntarily return so far in 2019, with some 1,801 assisted in March and 2,975 assisted in April.

UNHCR’s Regional Refugee Coordinator (RRC) for the Burundi situation, Ms. Catherine Wiesner carried out a mission to Burundi, on 24-26 April, 2019. The mission aimed at taking stock of the current situation of Burundian refugee returns. The RRC spoke with returnees that arrived at the newly opened Kinazi Transit Center in Muyinga. During her visit, the RRC highlighted the need for more support to strengthen the reintegration programming to create sustainable conditions for the returnees and communities in areas of return.