Rwanda

In Rwanda, UNHCR co-leads the response for refugees with the Government of Rwanda’s Ministry in charge of Emergency Management. The country currently hosts approximately 120,000 refugees and asylum seekers, with 90 per cent residing in five refugee camps: Kiziba, Nyabiheke, Kigeme, Mugombwa, and Mahama. In addition, UNHCR supports the evacuation of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers from Libya through the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) located in Gashora.

UNHCR’s work in Rwanda is structured around four core pillars:

1. Access to Protection: Ensuring that refugees, asylum seekers, and stateless persons have access to a favorable protection environment, including services such as registration, documentation, prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and child protection.
2. Improving Living Conditions: Enhancing access to essential services such as healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter, and energy, to ensure dignified living conditions for displaced populations.
3. Promoting Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion: Supporting access to livelihoods, self-reliance, and economic opportunities, including integration into the national education system and technical and vocational training programs.
4. Pursuing Durable Solutions: Facilitating voluntary repatriation, resettlement, complementary pathways, and local integration. UNHCR also assists with the return and reintegration of Rwandan returnees.

Despite being one of Africa’s smallest and most densely populated countries, Rwanda has made significant strides in development over the past decades. UNHCR’s work aligns with the country's Vision 2050, national transformation strategies, and the Sustainable Development Goals, supporting inclusive and resilient progress for all.