UNHCR asks for funds and solutions for the almost 250,000 refugees hosted by Tanzania

Aug. 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has called for more support to guarantee assistance and seek solutions for the almost 250,000 refugees living in Tanzania, even contemplating the voluntary return of part of this group.

Grandi has concluded a three-day visit to Tanzania in which he has met with local authorities – including the president, Samia Suluhu Hassan – and has toured some of the enclaves that are home to more than 248,000 refugees and asylum seekers.

The vast majority come from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with two camps in the Kigoma region, in northwestern Tanzania, as the main point of arrival. Grandi has recognized the “strong” commitment shown by the Tanzanian authorities, exemplified in initiatives such as the granting of birth certificates to refugee children.

However, he has lacked more help from the international community: “Tanzania has been generously hosting a large number of refugees for more than four decades and we cannot abandon them.” UNHCR’s humanitarian plan for Tanzania has received 27 percent of the required funding.

The agency also works to promote the voluntary return of refugees to Burundi. Since September 2017, some 142,000 Burundians have returned to their country.