DR of Congo Refugees in Burundi Now Number 25,000, UN Agency Says
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UN News Service (New York)
June 18, 2004
Posted to the web June 18, 2004
Conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has led to a refugee flood of
25,000 into neighbouring Burundi, an increase of 8,000 since Tuesday, the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.
The Government of Burundi has agreed to provide more land for refugees who have been
arriving almost daily, the refugee agency said. One camp at Karurama already houses
3,000 people and will be expanded to house 6,000 refugees.
Thousands more have entered Rwanda since insurgents started fighting on 26 May and the
UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been operating mass feeding programmes for Congolese
refugees in both countries.
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Central Africa
Refugees and Displacement
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UNHCR said it planned to start moving the refugees away from the border tomorrow. The
first convoy would travel from Rugumbo to Songore transit camp, which has a capacity
of 800 refugees and had previously been used for returning Burundi refugees.
Some 2,000 refugees would go to Gasorwe camp, which already houses around 8,000
Congolese refugees who had fled in previous years, UNHCR said.
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