Zimbabwe

July 2006

  
Refugees revolt, accuse UNHCR of ‘neglect’, (Standard, 2006-07-09):-Refugees in Zimbabwe last week boycotted the World Refugees' Day celebrations held at Tongogara Refugee Camp accusing the United Nations' refugee agency of neglecting their welfare. Out of about 2 500 refugees staying at the camp only about 200, mostly children, attended the celebrations which were graced by Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials and officials from the refugee agency, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). The refugees are mostly from troubled countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. They allege the UNHCR office in Harare had failed to provide them with adequate blankets during this winter period and that they do no have sufficient food. Esther Kiragu, the UNHCR protection officer in Zimbabwe, said at times her office fails to cope with the needs of the foreign nationals. "At times we do not have it all," Kiragu said when asked to comment on the refugees' complaints. The refugees alleged the UNHCR always provide plenty of foodstuffs during the annual World Refugees' Day celebrations but at the same time fail to cater for their basic everyday needs. "We have boycotted the celebrations because we have not been given blankets yet it is very cold here," said a 28-year-old man from Rwanda. Another refugee from the DRC said: "Food is just not enough so what is there for us to celebrate when we are starving?" Minister of Public Service, Nicholas Goche, Manicaland Governor Tinaye Chigudu, Morris Sakabuya, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Isaac Mukaro, the commissioner for refugees in Zimbabwe attended the function. This is not the first time refugees stationed at Tongogara Refugee Camp have rebelled against authorities. Three years ago armed police were called in to intervene and quell disturbances sparked by refugees from the DRC who wanted their Rwandan counterparts removed from the camp accusing them of having had participated in the 1994 genocide which left about a million Rwandans of Tutsi origin and politically moderate Hutus dead after 100 days of bloodshed. Zimbabwe is home to about 11 000 refugees. Most of them are in urban centres.  
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp