Refugees in protest over their welfare

Some 20 Congolese and Burundian refugees protested on Wednesday outside the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, against a reduction in the agency's food aid to mainly urban refugees. "We are bitter. We sleep on streets and go for days without food and yet we are supposed to be provided with these needs," said one refugee, identified only as Kasongo, from North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The refugees also complained about delays in the provision of identity documents from the UNHCR and the government. They denounced the delays in the procedures for transfers to refugee camps or for resettlement in third countries. However, in a statement, the UNHCR said the aid offered to the Congolese and Burundian refugees was in line with the policies of the Rwandan government, which emphasises that assistance be made available to refugees in camps outside Kigali. UNHCR also said in the case of refugees who are not permitted to live in camps due to nationality or serious security concerns, a limited amount of food aid was available in Kigali, especially for vulnerable families. "Other asylum seekers and refugees are free to choose to reside in Kigali, but are expected to seek independent means to meet their needs," the UNHCR said. The protesting refugees, mainly women, children and the elderly, claimed that the UNHCR and the Rwandan government were denying them their rights to basic needs such as shelter and food. "Recent reductions of the number of families receiving food assistance in Kigali reflect a tighter adherence to this long-term policy, which has been repeatedly communicated to the urban refugee population," the UNHCR said. The agency added that resources previously used for food aid had been redirected towards other self-reliance projects and medical services for refugees in Kigali and in camps. However, it maintained that health care and school fees for primary and secondary school education were provided by the UNHCR for all asylum seekers and refugees in Kigali. "Resettlement to third countries for refugees is available on a case-by-case basis," it said. "The criteria for resettlement are determined by the resettlement countries, which also make the final decision on acceptance."