EC gives €24 million for Burundian and Congolese refugees

Tanzania is scheduled to receive €24 million (US $26 million) from the EC this year to help meet the humanitarian needs of Burundian and Congolese refugees in the country, according to the EC Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO). In a statement issued on Thursday in Brussels, ECHO reported that it would channel the funds through partner organisations working in the field. "ECHO is the largest single donor to the refugee operation in Tanzania, a long-standing crisis that has largely been forgotten by the international community," Commissioner Poul Nielson, who is responsible for ECHO, is quoted as saying. "Given continued political and military instability in Burundi and other neighbouring countries, there is little chance of large-scale repatriation for the refugees. ECHO is therefore committed to continuing its support for the refugee population in 2003," he said. According to ECHO, Tanzania continues to host more than half a million refugees - the largest refugee caseload in Africa - despite being one of the world's poorest countries. Most of these refugees are from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ECHO's Global Plan for 2003 is expected to benefit approximately 520,000 refugees in 14 camps in western Tanzania under the protection of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The funds will be spent on food aid, logistics, water and sanitation, as well as nutrition, health, shelter and protection. "Health support will be maintained in the camps, with a focus on preventing the main causes of child mortality - malaria, pneumonia and neonatal problems. An essential part of the refugee programme is the provision of shelter and protection. This includes camp infrastructure, refugee shelter, plot allocation and the distribution of non-food items. Support for child education will also be maintained, as well as protection of vulnerable groups through gender and child-related projects," ECHO said.