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DR Congo + 3 more

Democratic Republic of the Congo UNHCR Operational Update, September 2020

Attachments

During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNHCR DRC is producing a condensed monthly Operational Update. Specific information about UNHCR’s response to COVID-19 in DRC can be found here.

PROTECTION

UNHCR and partners started facilitating the voluntary return of 303 Burundian refugees from South Kivu Province to Burundi. UNHCR conducted pre-departure formalities such as registration, health screenings and interviews to ascertain the voluntariness of the returnees’ decision to return. Upon arrival in Burundi, returnees were provided with an initial assistance package that included food and non-food items as well as cash grants to help them restart their lives.

UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees (CNR) finalized a verification exercise in Biringi,
Haut-Uele Province targeting more than 5,500 South Sudanese refugees
. This exercise helps to improve the accuracy of data on South Sudanese refugees in the DRC, helping the government and humanitarian partners enhance their understanding of specific needs amongst the refugee population, better plan and target delivery of protection and assistance, and avoid duplication of services.

In Mobaye Mbongo Territory, North Ubangi Province, UNHCR and CNR issued identity documents to 1,280 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) living out of camps. The documents ensure that the identity and status of refugees are formally recognized in the country, facilitating access to rights, protection, services, and opportunities afforded to them as refugees.

UNHCR and CNR registered 600 Rwandan and Burundian refugees living in Tanganyika Province. The registration of refugees is key as the registration document provides them with a proof of legal identity.