UN hails Tanzania for handling refugees from neighboring countries

The United Nations on Wednesday hailed Tanzania for its way of handling refugees from neighboring countries and keeping them in a safe environment with basic social services.

UN Resident Coordinator Alberic Kacou made the remarks here, commending the Tanzanian government for such an achievement in hosting refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Rwanda and Burundi.

He noted that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have come together, in a spirit of "delivering as one UN", to focus on Tanzania's landmark achievements in hosting refugees from neighboring countries of DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

At the event which witnessed the launch of the State of World Population 2010 Report under the theme "From conflict and crisis to renewal: generations of change", a short film provided an evidence on the decent life that refugees are living in Kigoma Region in Northwestern Tanzania.

Kacou noted that this year's report brings to the forefront how countries, communities and individuals, especially women and young people in conflict affected countries have emerged from situations of crisis and conflict to rebuild their societies and work towards peace and development.

For his part, Tanzanian Minister for Home Affairs Lawrence Masha said that until recently the country hosted Africa's most protracted refugee caseload that lasted for almost four decades.

In an unprecedented move unknown in the light of asylum, the Tanzanian government offered a lasting and durable solution to the 1972 Burundian refugee caseload by naturalizing some 162,000 of them, Masha said in a speech read on his behalf by the Tanzanian Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Elizabeth Nyambilo,.

He commended the World Population 2010 Report, saying it was one of its kind to illustrate how women and girls are affected by disasters and conflicts and to show that societies where men and women are on an equal footing, are more resilient to crisis and recover from them more quickly.

Meanwhile, UNFPA Country Representative Jullitta Onabanjo reiterated the importance of the United Nations Security Council's landmark resolution to put a stop to sexual violence against women and girls in armed conflict and to encourage greater participation by women in peace building initiatives.

Source: Xinhua