UNHCR operational highlights

• The crisis in Eastern DRC has caused close to 220,000 new displacements in North Kivu since April 2012. In total, over 747,000 people are now IDPs throughout the province. In addition, over 48,000 refugees have been registered in Rwanda and Uganda this year.

• In North Kivu, the provincial Government has informed humanitarian actors of securing a plot of 19 ha in order to extend the Mugunga III IDP Camp. This will facilitate the installation of hundreds of IDPs occupying schools and other communal infrastructures.

• The voluntary repatriation to Angola ended on 30 June. Out of the 43,000 Angolan refugees planned to return, 17,111 were able to do so (8,580 from Bas-Congo, 2,072 from Katanga and 6,459 from Kinshasa). Registration is still ongoing to confirm an estimated 24,000 refugees willing to repatriate after 30 June and some 51,000 who opted to remain in DRC.

• UNHCR celebrated World Refugee Day on 20 June. Many activities have been organized throughout the DRC namely a sensitization 10 km walk in Kinshasa with more than 700 participants, as well as drama, musical concert, folk dances, exhibition and sale of refugees’ products from income-generating activities financed by UNHCR in Katanga.