Rwanda
Rwanda
UNHCR in Rwanda works to protect and support refugees and asylum seekers through access to essential services, livelihoods, and long-term solutions, in alignment with national development goals.
Are you a refugee, asylum-seeker or stateless person looking for help? Visit the HELP site to find support and services from UNHCR.
Key statistics
150,305
people were displaced or stateless (or returning from forced displacement) within the country at the end of 2024
270,438
Rwandans were refugees, asylum-seekers or otherwise in need of international protection worldwide at the end of 2024
$84.8 million
are needed in 2025 to ensure that operations and programmes in Rwanda are sustained
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:
- 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.
- Improving Living Conditions: Enhancing access to essential services such as healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter, and energy, to ensure dignified living conditions for displaced populations.
- 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.
- 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.
Strategy and results
This section provides key information related to the Global Appeal and Global Report.
Strategy
Latest multi-year strategy, outlining key priorities and a comprehensive overview of operational plans as part of the Global Appeal.
Indicators and targets
Indicators and targets enable operations to establish their benchmarks and targets for comparison with results.
Annual Results Report
Latest Annual Results Report highlighting key achievements from the year and published as part of the Global Report.
Population and financial overview
Rwanda
Use the year selector to access information from previous years.
Populations
Population types
Population types
Note: The "Stateless" category does not include stateless people who are also in other categories, to avoid double counting. The total number of stateless, across all categories, is .
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Population by country
Population by country
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Population by origin
Population by origin
NB: 2025 figures are planning figures.
Source: UNHCR Refugee Data Finder for years until 2022, UNHCR planning figures (COMPASS) otherwise.
Financial
Budget and expenditure trend
Budget and expenditure trend
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by pillar
Budget by pillar
Budget by objective
Budget by objective
Note: The table presents the budget for this operation broken down at the objective level. Resource allocation at the objective level is subject to change during the course of the year as the operational situation evolves and priorities shift. The current budget, reflected in the bottom line of this table, is updated on a monthly basis and is replaced by the final budget at year-end.
Expenditure by Outcome Area
Expenditure by Outcome Area
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2023 budget as approved by the Executive Committee in October 2022.
2022 current budget as approved by the High Commissioner as of October 2022; pending presentation to the ExCom's Standing Committee.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2024 budget and 2023 current budget are taken from the budget document approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee in October 2023.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Source: 2025 budget was approved by ExCom in October 2024 while the 2024 budget figures include the latest supplementary appeals and are updated on a monthly basis.
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Impact Area
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
Budget by Outcome and Enabling Areas
yearselected
Strategy - Country
Strategy
Office contact details
For information about our operation in Rwanda, please contact us through our Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
