AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - Alarm for massive return of Congolese refugees from Tanzania and Zambia. Caritas Uvira offers help

Monday, 12 September 2005

Uvira (Fides Service )- A return en masse of refugees from Tanzania and Zambia to Uvira in eastern Democratic Congo is causing serious problems. Local Caritas said the people started arriving in July. Transit centres in Uvira, Kasimia and Braka registered 3,540 returnees in that month. Another 3,151 people returned by 23 August.
After a first stop at transit centres returnees move back to their places of origin but since there are no programmes for re-settling they have all sorts of needs, ranging from medical care, soap and seed to lodging and fishing tackle. These people are destitute having sold everything to pay for their passage. They threaten to become an unbearable burden for hosting communities.
Some local and international humanitarian organisations such as UNHCR, World Food Programme have launched aid programme for returnees. Caritas Uvira has started a programme to resettle 6,000 families. It has the backing of the German government and Caritas Germany will provide food and farming kits.
These people fled to Tanzania and Zambia to escape civil war in Congo. Now they are returning because of worsening conditions in refugee camps and also because operations started in Congo to make lists of electors are seen as a sign that peace has been restored. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/9/2005 righe 33 parole 300)


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