UNHCR thanks Zambia

—United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) country representative, Laura Lo Castro, has paid tribute to the government of Zambia for hosting refugees and other asylum seekers.

Ms Lo Castro is happy that the government, with the support of UNHCR and other international partners, is also making strides to facilitate the local integration of former Angolan refugees whose refugee status ceased last year.

She said it is a result of Zambia’s generosity that thousands of Angolans may be able to acquire Zambian permanent residence.

The country representative said UNHCR appreciates government’s willingness to consider local integration for some Rwandans whose refugee status will cease at the end of this month.

She said the efforts Zambia has continued to make in hosting refugees require international support.

She said her office is committed to work hard with the government to achieve this despite the growing multitude of refugee crises elsewhere in Africa at the same time the UNHCR is facing dwindling resources due to too many humanitarian emergencies.

She was speaking yesterday in a speech read for her by UNHCR Solwezi officer in-charge, Towa Chaiwila, at Maheba refugee camp. This was during the occasion to commemorate the World Refugee Day, which falls on June 20 , whose theme for this year is ‘working towards a new life’.

Ms Lo Castro said the world refugee population today stands at more than 45 million people uprooted by conflict and violence.

She named Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria and Sudan as countries that have contributed 55 per cent of this huge refugee crisis facing the world.

She said unfortunately major new displacements are emerging from Congo DR and Mali.

She said the number of refugee population was alarming because it reflects human suffering at a large scale and the difficulties the international community is grappling with in preventing timely solution to conflicts.

She urged local people in host countries not to resist refugees, because receiving then is an act of solidarity with these victims of conflict, violence and persecution.

Ms Lo Castro added that refugees are not necessarily a burden as they possess skills and experiences that can contribute positively to the economy and enrich the culture of a host country.

Meanwhile, government has reaffirmed its commitment to seeking lasting and durable solutions to the plight of refugees.

Speaking in a speech read for him by District Administrative Officer, Adjourn Chipawa, North Western Province Minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, said government will continue to ensure safe return of all refugees to their countries of origin through voluntary repatriation.

Mr Mubukwanu said since 2003, government has repatriated 250,000 refugees after providing necessary help to reintegrate them in the countries of their origin.

The provincial minister said whereas government offers refugees an option of local integration within Zambia, it still considers voluntary separation as the durable solution to their welfare.

In this view, he implored Rwandan refugees whose status will cease on June 30, 2013, to take the opportunity to return home and contribute to the development of their country, Rwanda.

He urged the international community to make more opportunities available to refugees who cannot be retained in Zambia by facilitating their resettlement in third countries.

Mr Mubukwana said resettlement of refugees to third countries is also in the spirit of burden sharing with host countries like Zambia that have continued to keep huge numbers of refugees despite having limited resources.