Rwanda: Food and Nutrition Assistance to Refugees and Returnees

This operation has been modified as per budget revision 4

WFP is currently assisting 73,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in five refugee camps in Rwanda. There were two major arrivals. The majority fled from conflict in the eastern DRC in 1995-1996. A further 30,000 escaped from increasing insecurity during 2012 and 2013. 

The intractable conflict in eastern DRC underlines that significant repatriation is unlikely within the next two years. Therefore refugees will continue to rely on international
assistance for their basic needs. The 2014 WFP/UNHCR Joint Assessment Mission states that 79 percent of refugee household income is derived from WFP’s assistance, and that opportunities for other income for refugees remain limited.

Twenty thousand Rwandan refugees are estimated to have returned to Rwanda from neighbouring countries by the end of 2014. This was a direct result of the implementation in June 2013 of the comprehensive solutions strategy for Rwandan refugees who fled between 1959 and 1998. WFP will provide assistance to returnees for six months to facilitate reintegration.

The underlying strategy of this operation was formulated through a series of consultative meetings with the Government of Rwanda, UN agencies, cooperating partners and
beneficiaries. Recommendations and analyses from recent evaluations and surveys are incorporated. The operation’s main objectives are to: meet the food and nutritional needs of refugee and returnee populations; expand the use of cash in food assistance; implement nutritional safety net programmes for vulnerable groups;  increase refugee self-reliance.