Press Release

OPEC Fund assists reintegration of Burundian returnees with US$300,000 grant

24/2005 March 15, 2005, Vienna, Austria

The OPEC Fund for International Development today approved a grant of US$300,000 to help reintegrate thousands of Burundian returnees from camps in neighboring Tanzania, Rwanda and Congo DR. The project is an initiative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has been working since June 2004 with other lead agencies to assist over one million externally and internally displaced Burundians to return and reintegrate in their communities of origin.

After a decade of instability and civil conflict, Burundi is pursuing peace and reconciliation. The repatriation and sustainable reintegration of its nationals are a key part of this process and, by the end of 2004, more than 67,000 refugees had returned home. These efforts are set to continue until the end of 2006.

In addition to facilitating the physical return of refugees, UNHCR is ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is in place to allow them to become self-reliant. Activities therefore include the provision of housing kits, along with the construction of basic social services, such as schools and health centers. To render return truly sustainable, refugees are helped to provide for their own livelihood, either through small-scale farming or other suitable income-generating activities. Such assistance includes vocational skills training and support for the development of small enterprises that process or market local produce and materials.

The OPEC Fund grant will specifically co-finance the construction of 4,000 urgently-needed shelters for vulnerable families in the provinces of Muyinga and Kirundo, as well as the construction of a six-classroom school and the refurbishment of a health center.

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