Significant drop in refugee arrivals

Numbers of new refugee arrivals into western Tanzania has “significantly dwindled”, a UNHCR official confirmed to IRIN. He said latest figures showed that by 15 March, the population of Karago camp had reached 43,460, slightly up from 41,172 in February. “Some 2,288 refugees were received in the camp during that period and this is quite low, compared to what it was like in December and January,” he said. “But we are continuing to monitor the situation.” The Tanzanian ‘Guardian’ quoted some of the refugees as saying the number of new arrivals had gone down “because those who wanted to flee, have already fled and the remnants in the troubled areas only flee when there is turbulence or they sense danger”. They also said there was not so much fighting between the government and rebel groups in neighbouring Burundi.