Skip to main content

UNICEF Rwanda Humanitarian Situation Report, September - October 2018

Countries
Rwanda
+ 4 more
Sources
UNICEF
Publication date

HIGHLIGHTS:

• UNICEF developed a preparedness and response plan for Ebola Virus Disease and contributed the National Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan. A total of US$ 370,000 was allocated through the UNICEF Emergency Programme Fund as a loan to accelerate implementation of the preparedness activities.

• Two additional classrooms for centre-based early childhood development services benefitting 200 Burundi refugee children aged 3-6 years and a play park for 10,000 Burundi refugee children aged 3-12 years funded by the Government of Japan were completed in Mahama refugee camp.

• Funding available to date stands at 5 per cent i.e. US$ 128,351. Without additional funding, UNICEF will not be able to address the essential needs of 150,000 women and children.

Breakdown of Burundian Refugees

Five refugee camps for Congolese refugees were established in 1996, 1997, 2005, 2012 and 2014. In 2012, UNHCR took full responsibility for the Congolese refugee response. An additional 10,000 Congolese refugees were projected to enter Rwanda in 2018. UNICEF has ensured contingency planning is in place and supplies are pre-positioned in the event of an influx.

Mahama Camp currently hosts 57,891 Burundian refugees, while the three reception centres host 53 Burundian refugees. In addition, there are more than 12,500 Burundian refugees in the urban areas of Kigali (11,799) and Huye (791). In August and September 796 and 823 new Burundian refugees arrived, respectively. Between January and September 2018, a total of 8,953 new Burundian refugees were registered.

There are 22,411 Burundian refugees who are particularly vulnerable due to serious medical conditions, disabilities, or because they are single parents or caregivers.

An outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was officially declared on 1 August in the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces in north-eastern DRC, which borders Rwanda. This led to the scale-up of emergency preparedness in districts at high risk of cross-border spread of Ebola. Together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health (MoH), UNICEF contributed to development of the national level Ebola contingency plan. Measures already put in place include pre-positioning of infection prevention and control materials; development and dissemination of information, education and communication (IEC) materials through various media in high-risk districts; increasing community awareness on the disease; and initiating capacity building of community health workers. However, scarcity of resources to plan and prepare for this emergency remains a matter of concern.