ReliefWeb

• 523,850 refugees in DRC.

• 16,130 Rwandan refugees returned voluntarily in 2017.

• 392 Burundian refugees transferred to the new site of Mulongwe.

Working with Partners

■ Together with the DRC Government, and in particular the National Commission for Refugees (CNR), UNHCR manages and implements delivery of humanitarian assistance and protection for refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Through a collaborative approach, support is delivered jointly with FAO, IOM, MONUSCO, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF, UNWOMEN, WFP and WHO among other agencies and NGOs. UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster, which coordinates the protection actors in their support to IDPs and other civilians. It also supports the coordination and management of IDP camps. Furthermore, UNHCR coleads the Protection and Prevention component of the National Strategy on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in DRC. Throughout the operational area, assistance is delivered together with 12 partners: ADES, ADSSE, AIDES, AIRD, CNR, COOPI, INTERSOS, MIDEFEHOPF, SAVE CONGO, SAVE THE CHILDREN, SFCG and TSF.

Main Activities

Refugees from Burundi

■ The new site of Mulongwe (South Kivu) opened on 29 November. 392 refugees were transferred from Monge Monge Transit Centre (Baraka) to Mulongwe.

■ On 29 November, UNHCR opened a new office in Baraka, that will supervise activities in Uvira and Fizi territories, including Lusenda and Mulongwe sites.

■ A new infirmary in Lulinda village, in the camp of Lusenda, was opened to improve access to health care for residents who live far from the health post.

■ In Mulongwe, AFPDE has finalised the building of 2 water tanks and 36 water taps. 5 km of piping have been placed. Partner ADES ensures water trucking to the site until the works are completed.

Refugees from South Sudan

■ UNHCR launched the biometric registration in Dungu city (Haut-Uele Province) for South Sudanese refugees arrived during 2016 and 2017. UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees (CNR) registered 1,270 individuals. A quarter of them were identified as having specific needs, such as women who are head of households with young children.

■ During the visit of Special Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees and Regional Coordinator for South Sudanese Refugees, Arnauld Akodjenou, refugees and the host communities shared their concerns about the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, expressed their needs for more humanitarian assistance and appealed to the international community to strengthen the capacity of refugees to acquire socio-economic self-sufficiency.

■ South Sudanese refugees continued to arrive in the DRC, namely in Haut-Uele and Ituri Provinces. In November, some 1,120 South Sudanese refugees were registered in the DRC.

Refugees from Central African Republic

■ Partner ADES distributed seedlings, farming tools, fishing tools and courtyard animals to 730 refugees and 165 locals in Inke (Nord-Ubangi) and to 1,606 refugees and 605 locals from Boyabu (Sud-Ubangi).

■ In Inke camp, partner AIRD started the construction of 268 transitional shelters for new arrivals who were awaiting transfers from the border area.

■ The mobile clinic organized by partner ADES for new arrivals moved to the village of Kanzawi (Bas-Uele province), where 670 refugees and locals were screened and 378 received necessary medical care.

■ In Bili, Boyabu and Mole camps, clothes donated by Japanese fashion brand UNIQLO were distributed to 39,535 people.

Refugees from Rwanda

■ The total number of voluntary repatriations from DRC to Rwanda in 2017 stands at 16,130 as of 31 October. The operation in North Kivu will increase the size of convoys to Rwanda from 150 to 250 candidates.

Internally displaced persons:

■ UNHCR led coordination of Protection actors under the Protection Cluster in Kasai and Kasai Central provinces.

■ In the context of the declaration of a Level-3 Emergency for several regions in DRC (Kasai region, South Kivu Province, Tanganyika Province), UNHCR deployed more emergency staff.