Since 2014, UNHCR, in partnership with Safe from the Start, an anti-SGBV initiative supported by the US Government, has developed 15 new projects to reduce the risk of SGBV through access to cooking energy and the creation of livelihood opportunities for refugee women.

One of our anti-SGBV Initiatives is the MADE51. This artisan initiative allows refugee artisans, many of them women at risk of SGBV, to receive expert product development support and access to international marketing channels and sustainable livelihoods.

In October, a special examination for Burundian refugees enrolled in the secondary school has been administered by the National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA) in all three refugee camps of Mtendeli, Nduta and Nyarugusu. Out of 959 registered Burundian students, 921 (96 per cent) attended the examination, which provides a recognized certificate by countries in the region and ensures continuity of education beyond secondary school in Tanzania.

In Lusenda and Mulongwe settlements the stocks of essential medicine remains severely depleted due to the underfunding for the Burundian situation. As result, refugees have experienced a reduction in the quality of care and there have been more frequent referrals to secondary health structures.

Some 411 Burundians registered for training on business skills and access to finance launched by INKOMOKO Business Development for the 2019 cohort programme. The programme aims at bolstering the capacities of refugees to run businesses and contribute economically to the communities where they are integrated.

Talented refugee models who met with UNHCR High Profile Supporter, Helena Christensen, in October 2018 grace Vogue Magazine.

In a historic decision, the member states of the UN General Assembly today agreed on a new international framework – known as the Global Compact on Refugees – that will transform the way the world responds to mass displacement and refugee crises, benefiting both refugees and the communities that host them.

Support scheme in Rwandan capital and elsewhere sees refugee businesses including Burundian-owned LPG store create 2,600 new jobs countrywide.

The consequences of underfunding are being felt across the board by Burundian refugees in four neighbouring countries, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda and Uganda.

Burundian refugees are enduring cuts to food rations, lack of medicines, overcrowded schools and inadequate shelter. Despite the best efforts of all, a massive increase in support is needed to adequately provide for even the most basic needs.