Refugees back to full food rations

WFP has said full rations would be distributed to over 400,000 refugees in Tanzanian camps in its next distribution cycle as a result of food availability for its Great Lakes operation having "gradually improved." The agency's latest emergency report noted that refugees had only been receiving half rations in recent months and that some "tension" had been evident. WFP also reported that while a total of 2,295 refugees crossed into Tanzania between 26 July and 8 August, the influx of both Congolese and Burundian refugees was decreasing - with 614 Congolese and 1,405 Burundians received in Kigoma, and 232 Burundians and 44 Rwandan refugees in Ngara. UNHCR in Nairobi confirmed to IRIN that the number of Congolese refugees crossing into Kigoma had dropped to about 10 new arrivals a day, from a figure of 1,000 a day a month ago. Humanitarian sources told IRIN this could be because refugees tried to stay as long as possible in the bush in the hope that the situation at home would improve enough to allow their return. "It is only when they prove otherwise, that they move on to cross the border," they said. It was also reported that the facilitated voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from Ngara had been suspended following reports of an unstable security situation in Burundi. Drought operations extended as emergency continues A recent budget revision of the ongoing WFP emergency operation in the drought-affected areas of Tanzania put the total number of beneficiaries at 1.14 million and the total cost of the operation at $8.3 million. A WFP report said the operation, which started in March and was originally planned to end on 31 May, would now be continued until the end of December. Assessments carried out by WFP, the government and donors in July and August concluded that an emergency situation "continues to exist" in Dodoma, Mara, Shinyanga, Singida, Tabora, Tanga and southern Mwanza regions, all of which have now "suffered three consecutive bad harvests." In Shinyanga and parts of southern Mwanza there had been both "very poor" crop performance and a collapse of cotton production, which is the main cash crop, the agency added.