Since 1993, the IRC has been providing services in northwestern Tanzania to refugees displaced by various conflicts in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The IRC in Tanzania currently maintains field offices in Kasulu, Kibondo and Kigoma Districts, as well as a head office in Dar es Salaam, to serve Burundian and Congolese in northwestern Tanzania’s Kigoma Region. These offices coordinate the provision of services in two Burundian refugee camps (Nduta and Mtabila, located in Kibondo and Kasulu Districts, respectively) and two transit centers (National Milling Center and Kibirizi) in Kigoma. The IRC provides services across a broad spectrum of sectors, including preventive, curative, and reproductive health; child protection; GBV; education; and camp management.

In accordance with UNHCR’s efforts to promote voluntary repatriation as a durable solution for refugees remaining in Tanzania, all aspects of IRC’s programming support and promote repatriation, either by preparing refugees for return and successful reintegration into their country of origin or by directly assisting returnees during the repatriation process.

REPATRIATION

In response to positive political and security developments in both Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent years, the respective governments, UNHCR and the government of Tanzania have intensified efforts to promote voluntary repatriation of refugees remaining in the camps in northwestern Tanzania. In September 2005, the Tanzania-DRC-UNHCR Tripartite Commission established a plan for facilitating repatriation to DRC and in June 2006, the Tanzania-Burundi-UNHCR Tripartite Commission initiated similar measures. As part of efforts to encourage repatriation, several Burundian camps where the IRC previously operated, including Mkugwa, Mtendeli, and Kanembwa camps in Kibondo District and Muyovosi camp in Kasulu District, were closed during 2007, and it is anticipated that Nduta camp will be closed in 2008. 

In accordance with the efforts of the respective Tripartite Commissions, the IRC works to promote and facilitate repatriation for the refugee population in northwestern Tanzania. In the Burundian camps, the IRC seeks to encourage refugees to return to their country of origin by providing them with information on the situation and availability of services in Burundi in order to prepare refugees for successful reintegration. The IRC also actively assists Burundian refugees during repatriation. In Kibondo, IRC teams conducts medical screenings for all returnees and in Kasulu, the IRC registers refugees for repatriation, operates the departure center at Mtabila camp, distributes food to returnees, provides support to vulnerable individuals during the repatriation processa and maintains the Heru juu and Kimwanya stopover sites for repatriation convoys. In total, the IRC assisted over 25,000 Burundians to return to their home country during 2007. Repatriation is expected to continue and intensify during 2008 and the Kigoma field office has also initiated programming to facilitate repatriation for Burundian 1972 refugees who are currently living in the old settlements in Tabora and Rukwa regions. The Kigoma field office will also continue supporting Congolese refugees during the repatriation process by providing health services, assistance to vulnerable individuals and escorts during the return voyage to DRC for returnees.

HEALTH

As the lead provider of health care in Nduta camp in Kibondo District, the IRC offers a complete spectrum of curative, preventive and reproductive health services to the approximately 35,000 Burundian refugees residing in the camp. The IRC’s curative health services include comprehensive inpatient and outpatient care; dental, eye, and mental health clinics; and laboratory services. The IRC’s preventive health programs focus primarily on providing beneficiaries with information on important health-related matters, including basic sanitation, disease prevention and home-based care so that they lead healthy lives after repatriation. The IRC also provides periodic trainings for health care workers and community members in the camps, and IRC’s Preventive Health programming incorporates measures to promote early detection of disease outbreaks. The IRC’s reproductive health services include a broad range of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services including antenatal and postnatal care, assistance during delivery, care for infants and newborns, growth monitoring for children under 5, family planning services, and HIV/AIDS services, including Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).

PROTECTION

Cutting across all aspects IRC Tanzania’s programming is an emphasis on protection, with a special focus on children and other vulnerable individuals. At all field sites, the IRC works to create and maintain a protective environment for children and other vulnerable individuals, ensure the protection of vulnerable individuals during repatriation, and provide returnees with information about protection issues in their country of origin. In the Kasulu District camps, the IRC identifies vulnerable children and ensures that they receive care and support, including counseling and material assistance, as needed, and IRC social workers conduct periodic home visits to follow up on the condition of vulnerable children. Furthermore, as part of efforts to promote durable solutions for the refugee community, the Kasulu Field Office conducts Best Interest Determinations for separated and unaccompanied children in preparation for repatriation or resettlement.

GENDER -BASED VIOLENCE

The IRC provides comprehensive services to GBV survivors and others vulnerable to GBV, including material assistance, psychosocial counseling, legal assistance, maintenance of confidential records, and referral of cases to other Implementing Partners for additional support, through GBV drop-in centers in Mtabila and Nduta camps. The IRC also coordinates efforts to prevent GBV and raise community awareness of GBV issues through mass campaigns, meetings, focus group discussions, training sessions, and the annual 16 days of activism on GBV. Furthermore, IRC Tanzania’s GBV sector actively works to promote repatriation by gathering information about GBV services and issues in Burundi and disseminating this information to the camp population.

EDUCATION

The IRC works to provide refugee children with access to educational opportunities in accordance with Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) standards. The IRC currently operates 12 primary schools serving over 11,000 pupils in Mtabila camp, where the IRC’s programming focuses on education for repatriation; to this end, the syllabus in the Mtabila schools follows the Burundian curriculum, and the IRC provides training to refugee teachers on implementing this curriculum. This promotes repatriation by preparing students for a smooth reintegration into Burundian schools and providing teachers with the knowledge necessary to gain certification and employment in Burundi.

CAMP MANAGEMENT

The IRC has provided camp management services in the Mtabila camp in Kasulu District since 2005. The IRC’s camp management responsibilities include distribution of food and non-food items; plot verification, allocation, and adjudication; population analysis; and liaising with community leaders, other implementing agencies and the Government of Tanzania to ensure security in the camp. The camp management sector also facilitates voluntary repatriation by registering returnees, providing support to vulnerable individuals during the repatriation process, and operating the departure center at Mtabila and stop-over sites at Heru juu and Kimwanya. IRC Tanzania is also responsible for managing the NMC and Kibirizi transit centers in Kigoma; at these locations, IRC provides comprehensive care and maintenance support to returnees, new arrivals, and long-term cases, including distribution of food and non-food items, registration of new arrivals, and maintenance of shelter, sanitation, and water services.