IGAD Ministers commit further to improving livelihoods of refugees

Since the start of the voluntary repatriation exercise in September 2017, a total of 63,143 individuals have been assisted to return to Burundi from Tanzania as of 31 March 2019. Of those who have registered for return, 7,760 individuals are currently awaiting departure after having had their intention to voluntarily return verified.

Due to continued new arrivals from Burundi into Rwanda, albeit in small numbers, additional space is needed to ensure a camp extension in Mahama Camp. The camp is designed for 60,000 refugees and the camp population has reached 59,319 as of 28 February 2019.

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).

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.

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.

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.

New Global Trends report on the state of the world’s refugees shows displacement continues to rise. In 2018, the world reached yet another tragic milestone. For the first time in recorded history the number of displaced people around the world eclipsed 70 million. By the end of the year, 70.8 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, or generalized violence.