The Minister in Charge of Emergency Management Marie-Solange Kayisire on Sunday reiterated the country’s commitment to better refugee affairs management as well as improve their well-being. This, she said, through her message as Rwanda joined the rest of the world to mark International Refugee Day. Celebrated every year, June 20, World Refugee Day commemorates the obstacles refugees’ face each year, while also celebrating their courage and strength. According to UNHCR, the number of people forced to flee their homes due to various unspeakable dangers has reached a record-breaking 82.4 million. Like the rest of the world, Rwanda marked the day under the theme ‘Together we can achieve anything.” In her message, Kayisire pointed out that the day comes at a time the country hosts around 125,000 refugees among which 90 percent a living in refugee camps. Among them include 27,000 Burundian refugees who have voluntarily returned home, and that the country continues to engage concerned countries and partners in order to find durable solutions for refugees “Since last year, despite the outbreak of the pandemic, a lot has been achieved and more efforts are expected to be deployed,” she said. “Livelihood projects that promote refugees’ social-economic inclusion and self-reliance increased, despite limited funds, and a number of refuges graduated from humanitarian assistance to self-reliance.” To ensure effective use of limited resources, she pointed out, more refugees are expected to be laid off humanitarian assistance. Consequently, Kayisire said that Rwanda has continued receiving and protecting persons of concern evacuated from Libya, with some of them evacuated in host countries, in a move she said is ongoing. Commenting on the potential of high-risk zones that continue to threaten refugees, she said that, 1,385 households composed of 7,256 individuals were relocated from Gihembe and Kigeme refugee camps to a safer place in Mahama refugee camp. This is to note that refugees were part of the priority groups to be vaccinated in the ongoing countrywide vaccination programe. While commending UNHCR and other partners for their efforts in refugee interventions, Kayisire called on the refugees to be disciplined abiding with national laws and living in harmony with the host community. Rwanda is home to six refugee camps including, Mahama, Kigeme, Mugombwa, Nyabiheke, Gihembe, and Kiziba. The country also hosts an emergency transit centre in Bugesera, which is home to thousands of Libyan refugees and asylum seekers.
