camera_rwanda
Gihembe Refugee Camp
Gihembe Refugee Camp
UNHCR
Byumba Province
Gihembe, Rwanda. Afrika.
July 14, 2006.
Verbatium from The UNHCR COUNTRY OPERATIONS PLAN OVERVIEW
Pages 11 & 12
Country: Rwanda
Planning Year: 2006
Beneficiary Population #2: Camp Based Congolese Refugees / Asylum Seekers
(a) Number and characteristics of beneficiaries
Congolese refugees are sheltered in Kiziba and Gihembe camp. In the course of 2005, some 7,000 still temporarily housed in Nyagatare and Nkamira transit centres are expected to be transferred to a new camp in Byumba province. This will bring the total camp-based population to 45,000 assuming that at the same time a total of 3,000 Congolese will return spontaneously in 2005 still. The vast majority of Congolese refugees (94%) are from North Kivu having fled DRC between 1996 and 2004. Projected figures for 1 January 2006 are as follows:
Age Group Male (in %) Female (in %) Total (in %) 0-4 4,752 22% 5,016 19% 10,080 21% 5-17 10,368 48% 11,088 42% 21,600 45% 18-59 5,832 27% 9,504 36% 14,880 31% 60 and > 648 3% 792 3% 1,440 3% 21,600 45% 26,400 55% 48,000 100%
(b) Main locations and types of settlement Kiziba camp (Kibuye province) and Gihembe camp (Byumba province) are home to about 38,500 Congolese refugees where UNHCR provides comprehensive protection and assistance including non-food items, health services, primary and secondary education and income generating activities. WFP provides food to all refugees. A new site (insert name) is being developed in 2005 in Byumba province which will be able to host up to 10,000 Congolese refugees.
(c) Assumptions and constraints
Refugees will be transferred from the transit centres in Gisenyi and Cyangugu to the new site in Byumba in 2005. Some 3,000 Congolese decide to repatriate spontaneously when assistance is phased out in said transit centres. About 500 urban
refugees will be transferred to the new site. Refugees are issued identify cards (photo ID) in 2005 following a comprehensive registration. Resettlement will continue in 2006. The needs are for 3,600 persons to be resettled, whereas the office at current levels can process a maximum of 1,000 refugees. Half of them are expected to be camp-based Congolese. The Congolese refugees are a very complex caseload due to cultural ties to both Rwanda and DRC. Military recruitment of refugees (youths in particular) could happen again in 2006. This is highly contingent upon the evolution of the situation in DRC. In the worst case, the Government of Rwanda could launch another “voluntary” repatriation operation in 2005 or 2006, as happened in 2002. Severe shortage of land and level of poverty precludes local settlement or selfsufficiency for the refugees, who are generally peasant farmers.
Gihembe Refugee Camp
Gihembe Refugee Camp
UNHCR
Byumba Province
Gihembe, Rwanda. Afrika.
July 14, 2006.
Verbatium from The UNHCR COUNTRY OPERATIONS PLAN OVERVIEW
Pages 11 & 12
Country: Rwanda
Planning Year: 2006
Beneficiary Population #2: Camp Based Congolese Refugees / Asylum Seekers
(a) Number and characteristics of beneficiaries
Congolese refugees are sheltered in Kiziba and Gihembe camp. In the course of 2005, some 7,000 still temporarily housed in Nyagatare and Nkamira transit centres are expected to be transferred to a new camp in Byumba province. This will bring the total camp-based population to 45,000 assuming that at the same time a total of 3,000 Congolese will return spontaneously in 2005 still. The vast majority of Congolese refugees (94%) are from North Kivu having fled DRC between 1996 and 2004. Projected figures for 1 January 2006 are as follows:
Age Group Male (in %) Female (in %) Total (in %) 0-4 4,752 22% 5,016 19% 10,080 21% 5-17 10,368 48% 11,088 42% 21,600 45% 18-59 5,832 27% 9,504 36% 14,880 31% 60 and > 648 3% 792 3% 1,440 3% 21,600 45% 26,400 55% 48,000 100%
(b) Main locations and types of settlement Kiziba camp (Kibuye province) and Gihembe camp (Byumba province) are home to about 38,500 Congolese refugees where UNHCR provides comprehensive protection and assistance including non-food items, health services, primary and secondary education and income generating activities. WFP provides food to all refugees. A new site (insert name) is being developed in 2005 in Byumba province which will be able to host up to 10,000 Congolese refugees.
(c) Assumptions and constraints
Refugees will be transferred from the transit centres in Gisenyi and Cyangugu to the new site in Byumba in 2005. Some 3,000 Congolese decide to repatriate spontaneously when assistance is phased out in said transit centres. About 500 urban
refugees will be transferred to the new site. Refugees are issued identify cards (photo ID) in 2005 following a comprehensive registration. Resettlement will continue in 2006. The needs are for 3,600 persons to be resettled, whereas the office at current levels can process a maximum of 1,000 refugees. Half of them are expected to be camp-based Congolese. The Congolese refugees are a very complex caseload due to cultural ties to both Rwanda and DRC. Military recruitment of refugees (youths in particular) could happen again in 2006. This is highly contingent upon the evolution of the situation in DRC. In the worst case, the Government of Rwanda could launch another “voluntary” repatriation operation in 2005 or 2006, as happened in 2002. Severe shortage of land and level of poverty precludes local settlement or selfsufficiency for the refugees, who are generally peasant farmers.