REFUGEE camps in the country are reportedly filled to capacity, the government said yesterday, noting that it was now contemplating the next move.
Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Mr
Hamad Yusuf Masauni, told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview that
the government will soon issue a detailed statement on the situation at
the country’s refugees’ camps.
Media reports have it that a critical situation is unfolding as hundreds of thousands of refugees arrive amid overwhelmed camps.
Fleeing the Burundi crisis, the rate of
refugee arrivals has increased almost five-fold in the last four months.
Nearly 250,000 Burundian and Congolese refugees are now crammed into
three overstretched camps, while discussions on a fourth camp to host
those still crossing the border continue.
Contacted yesterday, Mr Masauni said it
was too early to issue any official communication on the situation of
refugees in the country, promising to give details in the next few days.
According to the Relief- Web, an online
source for reliable and timely humanitarian information on global crises
and disasters, over recent months, food distribution has been
threatened with cuts due to lack of funds.
In October, the World Food Programme
(WFP) officially announced reduction in food rations to 60 per cent of
the daily recommended nutritional intake, a step only forestalled by a
last minute donation. As the numbers of refugees increase, the risk of
further cuts in the near future is a pressing concern.
“With total refugee numbers in the three
camps estimated at over 280,000 by the end of 2016, this is rapidly
becoming one of Africa’s biggest refugee crises,” The ReliefWeb quoted
the Head of Mission for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Mr David Nash as
saying.
However, despite warnings made by MSF
last May, little has been done to scale up assistance. Nduta camp, which
receives the newly arriving refugees, is now full.
Up to 10,000 refugees from Burundi
arrive in the country monthly and 850 others from Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) arrived in October. MSF is again calling for an increase in
the international aid efforts.
“The Tanzanian government, which has
kept open its borders to respond to this crisis - should not have to
shoulder the responsibility alone. A rapid scale-up of assistance is
required,’’ said Mr Nash.
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