Nyarugusu Camp, Kigoma Region – The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Government of the Republic of Burundi, the European Union (EU), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in collaboration with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and Icirore c' Amahoro (ICCA), together with refugees launched today a four-year project aimed at strengthening the protection and resilience of Burundian refugees in Tanzania and returnees in Burundi. Funded by the European Union (EU) with a contribution of EUR 8 million (USD 8.8 million), the project runs from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2027 and will support 338,579 Burundian refugees in the Nyarugusu and Nduta camps, as well as host communities in Tanzania’s Kigoma region. The project will focus on improving access to civil documentation, providing quality education for returnees, and enhancing vocational skills. The project also seeks to overcome critical barriers to the voluntary return of Burundian refugees and help them rebuild their lives back home. “There is no doubt that the current situation in Burundi warrants the return of the Burundian refugee, but we have observed the hesitation of some Burundian refugees to return home. In this regard, as we welcome the support from the EU, we must understand that Burundian refugee situation in Tanzania is unique, necessitating a unique approach to dealing with it. The Government of Tanzania is willing to engage in discussions to find an agreeable approach to establish a common ground in finding durable solution for all Burundian refugees hosted in Tanzania by 2025,” said Hon. Thobias Andengenye, Kigoma Regional Commissioner, Tanzania. The project will help returnees in Burundi access essential civil documentation, reintegrate into the local education system, and recognize vocational training certificates earned in Tanzania. It will also strengthen legal and protection services in Burundi by building local capacities to ensure these services continue after refugees return.“This project reflects the European Union’s strong and unwavering commitment to working alongside the Tanzanian government to protect and support refugees who have sought safety in Tanzania. We are dedicated to upholding their dignity and helping them rebuild their lives in a secure environment,” said Christine Grau, EU Ambassador to Tanzania.For her part, Elisabetta Pietrobon, EU Ambassador to Burundi said: ‘’The voluntary return and reintegration of Burundian refugees from Tanzania to Burundi is a key step towards promoting peace, stability, and development in the Great Lakes region. The program will benefit directly more than 96,000 refugees, 4,800 members of hosting communities and 52,000 returnees.’’“For repatriating Burundian refugees, skills acquired in Tanzania will help them with reintegration and adaptability back home as they will have an opportunity to put their skills to use and also train members of their community as a way of contributing to strengthening their communities back home,” Zulqarnain Hussain Anjum, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Tanzania.UNHCR appreciates the EU’s support in finding durable solutions for Burundian refugees in the region and for joining hands with other development actors to rebuild Burundian lives for a peaceful and sustainable future.“The consortium of NGO implementing partners is committed to combining their efforts and respective expertise in a complementary and synergistic action aimed at providing lasting solutions to the Burundian refugee crisis in the Great Lakes region,” said Valentin Lubunga Kibukila, IRC Country Director in Burundi.Since the start of the voluntary repatriation exercise in September 2017, more than 177,000 refugees have returned home to Burundi from Tanzania. As of the end of August 2024, around 145,000 Burundian refugees are hosted in Tanzania.“The reintegration needs remain huge. We still need more financial support for voluntary return and the reintegration of for former refugees in Burundi.  The EU cross border project is a timely and significant contribution to a smooth reintegration of Burundian returnees,” said, Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, UNHCR Representative in Burundi.For more information, please contact:Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of Tanzania – Information Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs, akyabubakar@gmail.com EU – Tony Nsabimana, Communications Officer, tony.nsabimana@eeas.europa.eu UNHCR – Bahia Egeh, External Relations Officer, egehb@unhcr.org    IRC, on behalf of the NGO consortium – Thierry Niyonshemeza, Communications Officer, thierry.niyonshemeza@rescue.org

UN Headquarters will observe the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Thursday, 30 May 2024. In 1948, the historic decision was made to deploy military observers to the Middle East to supervise the implementation of Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements, in what became the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. Since that time, more than two million peacekeepers from 125 countries have since served in 71 operations around the world. Today, some 76,000 women and men are serving in 11 conflict zones across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.Tanzania is the 11th largest contributor of uniformed personnel to UN Peacekeeping.  It currently deploys more than 1,500 military and police personnel to the UN peacekeeping operations in the Abyei, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, and South Sudan.During formal ceremonies at United Nations Headquarters, Secretary-General, António Guterres, will lay a wreath to honour all UN peacekeepers who have lost their lives since 1948. He will also preside over a ceremony in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, at which Dag Hammarskjöld Medals will be awarded posthumously to 64 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag, including 61 who perished last year.Among the peacekeepers to be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal are three from Tanzania: SSGT Justine Simwilwa EZEBIUS who served with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA); LT John Anthony MAGOIGA who was deployed with the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO); and Mr. Tasokwa CHIUME who served in a civilian capacity with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).The Secretary-General will also present the 2023 Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award to Major Radhika Sen, a military officer from India, who served with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Created in 2016, the Award “recognizes the dedication and effort of an individual peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security”.In his message, the Secretary-General said: “Today we pay tribute to the more than 76,000 United Nations peacekeepers who embody humanity’s highest ideal: peace. Day in and day out, at great personal risk, these women and men bravely work in some of the most dangerous and unstable places on earth to protect civilians, uphold human rights, support elections and strengthen institutions. More than 4,300 peacekeepers have paid the ultimate price while serving under the UN flag. We will never forget them.”The theme for 2024 International Day of UN Peacekeepers is “Fit for the future, building better together.”   The theme denotes that while UN Peacekeeping has proven to be part of the solution for over 75 years -- assisting host countries in navigating the difficult path from conflict to peace --  the Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace policy brief sets out a path for multilateral peace and security operations to remain viable tools to address future crises and conflict.“UN Peacekeeping remains a unique global partnership, with peacekeepers from over 120 countries making a meaningful difference every day to millions of people in some of the most world's most difficult places,” said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. "As we respond to tomorrow's challenges, UN Peacekeeping continues to evolve, leveraging partnerships to be nimble, responsive and fit-for-purpose, promote stability, protect the vulnerable and help to build a durable peace.”The International Day of UN Peacekeepers was established by the UN General Assembly in 2002, to pay tribute to all men and women serving in peacekeeping, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace.  # # # # #Media Contacts:  Douglas Coffman, Department of Global Communications -+1 (917) 361-9923, e-mail: coffmand@un.org; or Hector Calderon, hector.calderon@un.org or Aditya Mehta, mehta2@un.org from the Department of Peace Operations .For more information, please visit the Peacekeepers Day websites here: https://www.un.org/en/observances/peacekeepers-day; or https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/international-day-of-un-peacekeepers-2024-0 *  *  * *  *

“While Japan, together with UNHCR, will make efforts to support Tanzania, I sincerely hope that the government of Tanzania will also continue playing an important role to provide protection as well as the necessary care to refugees in accordance with international humanitarian laws. By working together, we can make a tangible impact on the lives of refugees, ensuring a brighter and more secure future,” said H.E Mr. Yasushi Misawa, Ambassador of Japan to Tanzania.
In 2023, UNHCR and its national and international partners supported the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to receive over 14,400 new arrivals in Kigoma region who were provided with a safe place to sleep, food, water, and other life-saving assistance. Often refugees and forcibly displaced people who flee arrive with little more than the clothes they are wearing and the few belongings they can carry in their arms. Access to shelter, water, sanitation facilities, and essential items for hygiene promotion becomes vital to reducing mortality and morbidity, and enhancing new arrivals’ protection, dignity, and quality of life.
“Last year, I was in Kigoma and in Nyarugusu refugee camp where I spoke to men, women, and children who fled from the DRC. They were people like you and me, desperate, crying for their dead and missing family, friends, and neighbours. The very timely contribution from Japan will allow us to help refugees live dignified lives in displacement,” said Ms. Mahoua Parums, UNHCR’s Representative in Tanzania.
UNHCR requires USD 8 million to respond to the DRC emergency in Tanzania and appeals for more humanitarian and international community support as needs persist. As of 31 December 2023, Tanzania hosts over 240,000 refugees, mainly from Burundi and the DRC. UNHCR remains deeply grateful for the people and Government of the United Republic of Tanzania who have set a global example in welcoming refugees. Continued solidarity with both the refugees and the host communities is vital. END

Her mother, enlightened about the devastating impacts of this ritual, supported her decision, but they faced staunch opposition from their family, who believed in adhering to a tradition that promised social acceptance at the cost of physical and emotional trauma. Ghati's story is a common story often told—countless young girls with their basic human rights violated. FGM inflicts irreversible harm on girls and women, with grave consequences on the lives of countless young girls. FGM is not just a cultural ritual; it jeopardizes the health and well-being of girls, affecting their education, derailing their career prospects, and echoing the deep-seated gender inequalities embedded in our societies. On this International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, we acknowledge the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania's progress in reducing FGM prevalence from one in seven girls in 2010 to one in twelve girls in 2022. However, with uneven regional progress in the country and a looming deadline to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, our fight against FGM requires an intensified, multi-faceted approach to meet our national target. Over a decade of action through global, regional, and national programmes has provided us with strong evidence, and the what, the why - and our direction is clear. Efforts to eradicate FGM in Tanzania require a combination of legal measures, improved access to accessible, culturally sensitive services, including the prevention of medicalization for girls at risk and support services to FGM survivors provided by skilled professionals, awareness campaigns, education, community engagement, and empowerment of women and girls to raise their voices and claim their rights. Empowered voices go further – and longer. We must remain steadfast in our refusal to give up the fight for every woman and girl to enjoy their right to bodily autonomy and good health. The heart of these efforts lies in empowering the girl child, ensuring her voice is heard through educational programs, life skills training, and entrepreneurship opportunities and supporting alternative rites of passage that celebrate the transition of a girl child into womanhood but do not involve genital mutilation. Awareness campaigns should be intensified, using culturally sensitive methods to reach the hearts and minds of those who may be perpetuating or supporting this practice. Religious and community leaders and men and boys as fathers, brothers, decision-makers, and custodians of culture hold considerable influence; their commitment to condemning and actively discouraging FGM is crucial. On the other hand, partnering with women-led and FGM survivor-led organizations, especially at the grassroots level, who have an in-depth understanding of the challenges that women and girls face, are key to promoting social and gender transformation and vital resources on how to advance their rights. By fostering collective and open dialogue, community leaders and members can challenge traditional beliefs that have sustained this harmful practice for generations. The fight against FGM is not just a moral imperative but a necessary step toward achieving gender equality and empowering future generations of Tanzanian women. Tanzania must lead the charge in eradicating FGM, setting an example for the region and the world. To achieve our goal of zero FGM cases by 2030, we must unite our voices as players in our movement, including governments, policymakers, development partners, academia, national and international organizations, grassroots, advocates, media and beyond. Only through collective will and action can we break free from the shackles of tradition and forge a path towards a more equitable and compassionate society, securing the human rights and dignity of its female citizens once and for all.