By KASONDE KASONDE –
ARMED conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has triggered the flight of that country’s nationals who have entered Zambia as refugees.
The refugees have turned to Zambia given the country’s history of hosting refugees from countries that have faced strife.
Zambia has hosted refugees from the DRC since the late 90’s when that country started experiencing political instability especially in the eastern region.
The latest refugees from DRC began trooping in late last year following yet another series of armed conflicts.
The arrival of the refugees in Zambia made the Government to set up a refugee camp called Kenani Transit Center in Nchelenge District in Luapula Province on September 8 last year.
With close to 15,000 refugees at the center, the Government has realised that on its own, it lacks the capacity to fully provide all the necessary requirements of the refugees.
The Government has encouraged several stakeholders to get involved and supplement its efforts in providing the basic needs of the refugees.
On October 18 last year, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya visited the refugee transit center which, at the time, only had 4,955 asylum seekers.
Dr Chilifya expressed Government’s concern with the refugees who were arriving at the transit center, some of whom were sick and if not thoroughly screened, posed a risk of spreading diseases not only at the camp but also in surrounding areas.
Dr Chilufya said his ministry had a mandate to ensure public health of the citizens of Zambia and those coming into the country.
He warned that with the influx of the asylum seekers, there was a critical stress and demand on health services in the area.
He said his ministry had increased the number of health staff at the camp to handle the health needs and was working in partnership with other stakeholders.
“Government wants to ensure that there is proper sanitation in the camp to avoid disease outbreak because the people at the camp are coming from different backgrounds and require special attention, like the pregnant women and babies with malnutrition,” Dr Chilufya said.
Dr Chilufya’s visit to the camp was followed a few days later with President Edgar Lungu’s visit.
President Lungu toured the Kenani Transit Center for asylum seekers and took the opportunity to appeal to the international community to do more to support the Government’s efforts in caring for the refugees.
Mr Lungu said while the Zambian Government and its partners were doing everything possible to take care of the people, there was need for more support.
The President said the country expected to receive more asylum seekers from the DRC as indications so far showed that the situation in the neighbouring country was likely to worsen.
World Vision Zambia is one of the organisations that has partnered with the Government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), among others, to ensure that the refugees have all the necessary requirements.
World Vision Zambia has been on the ground to provide assistance to the refugees since the Kenani Transit Center was established.
World Vision Zambia has put up water reticulation, besides providing nutritional food supplements at a total cost of over K4 million.
World Vision Zambia Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Manager Bernard
Zgambo said as a child-focused Christian organisation, World Vision Zambia believes that Christ has called the organisation to love and care for one another.
Mr Zgambo said World Vision Zambia takes interest and finds joy in working
with refugees and any other people affected by any disaster.
He said the organisation seeks to save lives and improve the lives of those being helped regardless of their religion, race, political status or nationality.
He said the organisation had sunk boreholes and built a mechanised water system.
The organisation has also been providing the refugees with food supplements for the likes of malnourished children and breastfeeding mothers.
Mr Zgambo said this when World Vision Zambia handed over clothes, buckets and plates for children valued at K3.3 million at the camp recently.
“Working in partnership with Government and other United Nations agencies, the organisation has continued to support the needs of the refugees to make them comfortable and help them rebuild their lives,” Mr Zgambo said.
He said as a child focused Christian organisation, World Vision Zambia believes that Jesus Christ has called everyone to love and care for one another hence the organisation’s interest in working with refugees to improve their well being.
Mr Zgambo said his organisation was also working towards supporting the creation of child friendly space to provide psychosocial counselling for children.
He said the safe spaces had provided children an opportunity to return to normal life.
The organisation has also started supporting the educational needs of the children.
Mr Zgambo said as Government plans to move the refugees to a permanent place in Mantapala, World Vision Zambia, with support from other non-governmental organisations, had already sunk two boreholes at the site.
He said the organisation would continue to work together with local and international donors in supporting the needs of the refugees.
Nchelenge District Commissioner Derrick Mwelwa thanked World Vision Zambia for its efforts towards improving the lives of children and their families, as well as the lives of the displaced people.
Mr Mwelwa said Zambia being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Refugees, Government was committed to the well-being of all the asylum seekers.
He thanked World Vision Zambia for the donation.
He also commended the organisation for working with the Government in addressing the needs of the refugees.
Mr Mwelwa said Zambia is a Christian nation and Government believes that Christ had called upon the nation to show love and care.
He said that is the reason Zambia took interest in being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Refugees.
He called upon local and international donors to support the increasing needs of the refugees especially as Government and UNHCR were working hard to move them to a better and permanent environment.
Mr Mwelwa appealed to the refugees to guard the donations jealously and put them to good use as they were purchased at a high price.
Commissioner for Refugees Abodone Mawere said the population of refugees had increased to close to 15,000 and the needs were overwhelming for the Government, hence the call for more partnerships.
Mr Mawere thanked World Vision Zambia for providing water and sanitation at the refugee camp and for helping the refugees have a dignified life.
He said the Mantapala Refugee Camp where the refugees would be relocated to from the transit centre was almost ready with all the necessary facilities.
A refugee representative, Mukalai Bunka, thanked the Government and its cooperating partners for welcoming the asylum seekers into Zambia and for providing them with shelter and food.
Mr Bunka said the refugees had been given shelter and were able to start their lives all over in a peaceful environment.
He challenged Zambians not to take advantage of the peace the country has enjoyed since Independence, but to ensure that peace is sustained.
He said war and conflict is the worst thing that can to happen to anyone.
Mr Bunka moved from Congo with his family last year and had been surviving through donations from various organisations.
Another refugee, Marigilire Kasawa, thanked the Zambian people for the welcome and also for preserving the country’s peace since Independence.
Ms Kasawa said because of the peace in Zambia, the Congolese people always opted to flee into the country whenever conflict displaces them.
She commended the Zambian Government for the programmes put in place to ensure that the asylum seekers were given shelter and clean and safe drinking water.