Highlights
Relocations from Nyarugusu Camp
The two additional pumps required to facilitate the water supply at Mtendeli camp should be delivered and installed within a matter of days and, as such, the relocation of Burundian refugees from Nyarugusu camp to Mtendeli camp is anticipated to resume on 17 March 2016. The camp has an expected capacity of 20,000 refugees, when the land presently under agricultural use in the camp is handed back by the local community, to permit the construction of additional refugee shelters and the water network. UNHCR has also appealed to the Regional Authorities, to agree on a fixed number of Burundian refugees who can remain in Nyarugusu camp (if any), in order to take advantage of the investment made in the camp, as well as, to help UNHCR and its partners to proceed with planned developments that improve current living conditions presently experienced by the refugees.
Education
Francophone Ambassadors from France, Belgium and the Honorary Consulate of Senegal in Tanzania, together with representation from development actors, such as the Belgian Technical Cooperation, visited Kigoma from 3 to 4 March 2016. On 3 March 2016, the mission paid a courtesy visit to the Kigoma District authorities and received a briefing on the district activities, the district development plan and gaps in service delivery, accompanied by a request for support. In addition, a round table panel discussion took place, with participation from eleven refugees from Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli camps. The refugees included students, education coordinators and opinion leaders. The discussions aimed at sharing key information on education interventions in the camp, existing gaps and to propose means of addressing the identified gaps in the Education sector. The main outcome was that there is a critical need for education interventions to be scaled up and that this will need additional funding. The delegation also highlighted the need to promote French as a language of instruction in the Education sector. The delegation later met with education and non-education partners--MSF, IRC, Plan International and Save the Children--during individual meetings. On 4 March 2016, the delegation, accompanied by UNHCR, visited Nyarugusu camp and received briefings and visited schools and education partners in the camp.
A draft advocacy paper has been prepared by UNHCR and partners to appeal to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania (GoT) to: reconsider its current policy of only permitting the use of permanent structures for school classrooms; and to consider allowing also the use of semi-permanent structures for classrooms. The draft advocacy paper has been shared with the Regional Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Regional Administration Secretary for comments, as well as UNHCR Dar es Salaam. The overwhelming need for classrooms, coupled with funding constraints and the time required to build permanent structures make this a critical issue. In Nduta camp alone, out of a total of 24,584 children of school going age, children registered in school constitute 60%; the remaining 40% are out of school. Those in school experience an average ratio of 1 classroom to 429 pupils. It is vital to urgently construct 833 class rooms and provide 20,825 desks, and 833 chairs/tables which will cost US$6,622,203. The number of class rooms needed and desk/benches to be produced will continue to increase as more refugees arrive.