Returnees go hungry, remain homeless in Ruyigi

Hundreds of refugees who returned from Tanzania to Burundi's northeastern province of Ruyigi have been without food and shelter since their arrival in October. The latest 57 returned on 11 November to pathetic living conditions that the rest, estimated at 500, have been enduring. They are living in grass-thatched homes in Musha in Gisuru Commune, 8 km from Ruyigi town. The refugees told IRIN they returned to find their homes had been set on fire and their livestock stolen. They said they fled in 1993 after the government evicted them from the Ruvubu Natural Reserve, near the border with Tanzania. In Tanzania, some of them lived in refugee camps while others lived in the villages. A returnee told IRIN on Tuesday they were starving. "It is as if we are living in nests," another returnee said, in reference to the poor structures in which they live. Some of the returnees said the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was only assisting those who returned from refugee camps, and not those who lived in Tanzanian villages. "We want to be protected by the UNHCR even when we are back in Burundi," one of the returnees said. The UNHCR senior repatriation officer in Ruyigi, Ibrahima Traoré, told IRIN there were cases of impostors - people who just went to Tanzania and afterwards returned to claim support as returning refugees. "Those are the ones who falsely accuse our organisation," Traoré said. "However, were have put in place serious controls to identify cheaters." He said genuine returnees received repatriation packages upon return and transport to their communes of origin. This support extends to all returnees, including those who fled the country during conflict in 1993 and 1973. He added that only returnees in inaccessible areas were not getting relief aid. He said some eight bridges in the province had fallen into disrepair, making it difficult for UNHCR to reach returnees. The returnees also complained about the lack of clothing and blankets, especially during the current rainy season.