Prior to the events of late 1996 the Rwandan refugee situation had altered little; nearly 1.8 million Rwandan refugees still resided in neighbouring countries and the prospects for their voluntary return seemed slight. Several attempts had been made by the Zairean authorities to encourage repatriation by preventing movement and trade into and out of camps… Read more »
On 14 July 1994, approximately 850,000 Rwandans poured into the Zairean town of Goma. UNHCR, charged with coordinating assistance to these refugees, found itself overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Camps had to be set-up, water generation, storage and distribution systems installed, access roads constructed, latrines dug and hospitals built, in an area where much… Read more »
Danielle de Lame, an RRN Member, was one of the anthropologists contributing to the Rwanda Evaluation. In this article, based on her experience of Rwandese camps in eastern Zaire, she describes life in the camps from a refugee, and in particular, a womans perspective. The article offers a reminder of the complexity and dynamic nature of social… Read more »
To respond effectively to a major crisis, agency personnel managing relief operations need detailed knowledge of the area in which they are working. Logisticians need to know where the roads are, what state they are in and whether they are passable in the rains. Information on the location and carrying capacity of rivers is also… Read more »
During the early months of 1996, the security situation improved slightly in the capital Bujumbura, but deteriorated in the countryside, complicating the UNs plan to repatriate 1,000 Hutu refugees a day from the camps in Zaire. However, towards the end of April, conflict escalated throughout the country, forcing relief agencies to suspend many of their… Read more »
The first weeks of April were dominated by mourning, in remembrance of those who died during the 1994 genocide and civil war. But the main problems facing the Rwanda Government two years on are those of repatriating nearly 1.8m Rwandans living as refugees in neighbouring countries, and bringing the perpetrators of the genocide to justice…. Read more »
There are still an estimated 3.2 million refugees and internally displaced people affected by this regional emergency. Movement of relief supplies is hampered by serious insecurity, particularly in Burundi; there are reports of between 50 and 100 people killed each night and attacks on the roads are such that UNHCR repatriation efforts from Burundi to Rwanda… Read more »
Since the signing of the peace accord on 6 May, the country has, despite still high levels of violence perpetrated by unaffiliated groups, remained calm. With the partitioning of Government and UNITA troops and an apparent commitment on both sides to furthering the peace process, overall security has improved, relief aid routes in previously inaccessible… Read more »
For rural populations in developing countries, the natural environment is intimately linked to economic welfare. Populations are dependent on their surroundings for water, food, shelter and medicine. Refugee influxes intensify normal green environmental problems – those associated with over-exploitation of rural natural resources due to poverty, rising populations, weak property rights and inappropriate management. Refugee… Read more »
