Refugee Bulle n Issue number V March - May 2012 (N)CR RWANDA A refugee mother feeds her baby inside the laiterie , a disused milk factory serving as temporary shelter near the overflowing Nkamira Transit Centre IN,IDE T)I, I,,(E B B Anouck D BronCe (N)CR .ver 9,600 Congolese seek refuge in Rwanda p. 1-2 Rwanda copes with its Arst refugee influ2 since 20099 Re-registra on e2ercise complete p. 3 5overnment and inter-Agency response BPRM (,A visits Rwandan camps p. 3 Fighng broke out in North Kivu, Democrac Republic of the Congo (DRC) in April Bra4ilian donor visit to 5ihembe p. 3 2 12 between the Armed Forces of the Democrac Republic of the Congo (FARDC) 6iving as a refugee with a disability p. 7 and deserng troops inially loyal to renegade General Bosco Ntaganda, who is want- ed by the Internaonal Criminal Court for war crimes, including the recruitment of Refugee womanhood p. 5 child soldiers. The other 8olie9 an urgent appeal p. 5 On Friday 2,th April, 5 Congolese refugees crossed the grande barrière from Goma, DRC, into Gisenyi, Rwanda, with numbers swelling to over 1, by .unday 29th. By Environment and hygiene in Kiziba p. 0 the end of the following week, .unday 0th 1ay, 5,200 individuals were registered at 5enocide Commemora on p. 7 Nkamira Transit Centre, a facility 4ust 25kms from the border which normally hosts Rwandan returnees for a night or two before their onwards 4ourney home. Interview with our photographer p. 8 A mul-disciplinary team, consisng of the Government of Rwanda and seven 5N DAFI ,cholars9 the road ahead p. 9 agencies, led by the 1inistry for Disaster 1anagement and Refugee A6airs (1IDI1AR) and 5NHCR, were deployed to Gisenyi from the outset to register the new Delivering as One for refugee children p. 10 arrivals, distribute food supplies and non-food items, and rehabilitate and e8pand to the best of their abilies the vastly overstretched facilies at the Transit Centre. A (NV’s viewpoint p. 11 Photo 5allery9 Camp 6ife p. 12 … connued inside Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012 Refugee influx news connued... Figh ng has intensiAed, forcing over 50,000 people to flee their homes , both within DRC, and to neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. The conflict has taken place mainly in Masisi and Rutshu- ru territories, with airstrikes against the rebel-held towns in the Virunga Naonal Park near the Rwandan and Ugandan borders. The refugees cite the conflict, ancipaon of con9ict, mistreatment by soldiers, and fears of forced conscripon into milia groups as their main reasons for 9ight. As of 30 th May, 9,071 had been regis- tered and are accommodated at Nkamira, e2ceeding its capacity by over 7,000 . Not only does this mean there is serious pressure on service provision and the environment, but there is simply not enough shelter to go round. 8oint Response The e6orts made by the Government under the leadership of 1IDI1AR and with the support of the 1inistry of Health, District o<cials, Immigraon and the Police, are supported by the One 5N in Rwanda, under the leader- ship of 5NHCR, alongside a team comprising 5NICEF, WHO, WFP, 5NDP, 5NFPA, and 5N Women. This has been supplemented by the assistance of NGOs on the ground, which include the Rwandan Red Cross .ociety, African Humanitarian Acon (A7A), the Advenst Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), :ision Jeunesse Nouvelle, Care Internaonal, .ave the Children and O8fam GB. Key concerns 5NHCR is parcularly concerned about a number of vuln erable individuals, including the 35, unaccompanied minors, and 53 pregnant mothers amongst the populaon. Indeed 87E of the new arrivals are women and chil- dren , including 120 students who had intended to sit their e8ams in the coming weeks Athe operaon is looking into what alternave arrangements could be made so that these young refugeesB educaon su6ers minimum disrupon. A new camp in Rwanda In a recent welcome development, the 5overnment of Rwanda has now allocated a plot of land to host the new arrivals, in Kigeme , Nyamagabe District, .outhern Province. The site had previously been used for Burundi- an refugees unl June 2 9. This will help decongest the overstretched Transit Centre, whilst reducing the risks associated with remaining near the border. Clashes over the border in North Kivu have not yet abated, and those who have sought refuge here in Rwanda face an uncertain future. B B Anouck D BronCe (N)CR Newly arrived Congolese refugees wait for distribu on of food and core relief items at Nkamira Transit Centre 2 Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012 Newsflash We are pleased to announce that the third and Anal phase of the re-registra on e2ercise is now complete in all three camps and in Kigali. The Cnal stascs will be compiled by mid -June and shared with all stakeholders. BPRM visit to (N)CR Rwanda Bryan Iupton is the new Great Iakes Programme O<cer at the Bureau for Populaon, Refugees and 1igraon, based in Washington, D.C. Bryan came to Rwanda in 1ay with a view to familiarise with the key operaonal issues and challenges faced by 5NHCR Rwanda. His 4-day tour Crst took him to Nkamira Transit Centre where he visited the structures in place for new arrivals from DRC and met with the Repre- sentave and Head of Emergency mission. He also visited KiDiba camp, where he was given a tour of the facilies by B Anouck D BronCe (N)CR both 5NHCR and its Partner ARC. At the end of the last leg Bryan 6upton at Nkamira Transit Centre, speaking to of his visit in Gihembe camp, Bryan shared his thoughts on (N)CR Field .Jcer Roda Ismael Aden. his Crst visit to the region: GBPRM and the (nited ,tates are very happy to support humanitarian assistance for refugees in Rwanda. We recognize that Rwanda, (N)CR, and N5. partners are faced with a number of challenges that come along with both a protracted refugee situa on and in trying to respond to a new influ2 of refugees from the DRC. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to visit and to see Arst-hand the humanitarian eHorts underway.I Brazilian visit to Gihem e camp On March 6 th , two officials from the Government of Brazil made an unofficial visit to Gihembe camp in order to familiarise with our UNHCR Operaon in light of the recent donaon made by the Brazilian Government to UN- HCR Rwanda. During their tour of Gihembe, Beto Vasconcelos and João Resende visited the health centre and toured the income-generang acvies where refugees learn to develop skills such as carpentry, sewing, wood- carving, music and baking. They also toured one of the primary school buildings. The highlight of their visit was taking part in an economics class at )ope ,chool, a community-based school en rely funded by refugees themselves.F 1r :asconcelos and 1r Resende sat in during the class, and Beto :aconcelos, Deputy Chief of .ta6 of the BraDilian presidency, said of his me there, (N)CR’s work shows everybody the “need for aKen on to people all around the world who, despite living in poverty and great human fragility, away from their tradi onal land and na on, s ll preserve in their spontaneous smile a surprising light of hope. ” BraDil is among the top 15 donors contrib- ung to 5NHCRBs global budget. In 2 12, 5.G 1 , from their 5.G4 million dona- on to 5NHCR was allocated to the Rwanda B B Anouck D BronCe (N)CR Operaon. To conclude their visit, Beto and 8oFo write a note for the )ope ,chool teachers, alongside Chantal (wimpuhwe, (N)CR ,enior Field Assistant. F For more informaon about 7ope .chool see issue no. 4 of the Refugee Bullen. 3 Refugee Bulletin March - May 2012 6iving as a refugee with a disability Freedom of movement is an issue close to the B Erick 5erstner (N)CR D heart of refugees the world over: nobody chooses to 9ee their homesK and for the tens of thousands of Congolese refugees living in Rwanda, travelling back home again remains a distant dream. Imag- ine then, that on top of this lack of control over your own path in life, you were all but conAned to one small corner of the refugee camp . This is the case for 1s Nyirakamodokah Nyira- habimana, 54, whose last oung from her familyBs shelter in Gihembe camp was seven days ago. Nyirakamodokah is almost deaf, and has been Ms Nyirahabimana outside her house in 5ihembe camp e6ecvely immobile from the waist down for the last Cve years, owing to tumours on her body and legs. Three years spent in hospital did not succeed in revealing the cause of the disability, so she gave up seeking treatment there. Now it is her 22 year-old daughter, Lvonne, who acts as her full-me carer. .adly, Lvonne dropped out of school when she was in P0 in order to take care of her mother . Nyirakamodokah spends most of her days siMng in front of the cramped shelter she shares with her two children: even for Gihembe camp, where unemployment is the norm and recrea onal op ons slim, the monotony is depressing . NI last leO my house one week ago,P she recounts, Nto visit the GB: centre.P .he walks bent double, with the aid of a sck. This arduous round trip, which she makes unaccompanied, brings a liQle support to the family in terms of soap and other items to assist those refugees deemed Rvulnerable,B a term belying her resilience and stoicism in the face of lifeBs obstacles.