DESPITE debilitating economic challenges that Zimbabwe has faced in recent years, the country could still afford to accommodate hundreds of refugees and other asylum seekers fleeing from their countries.
STAFF REPORTER
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday paid tribute to the efforts shown by the inclusive government in accommodating displaced people, most of whom have entered the country through the Nyamapanda Border Post and found home at Tongogara Refugee camp in Chipinge.
The message of gratitude comes as Zimbabwe today joins the rest of the international community in commemorating the World Refugee Day, originally known as African Refugee Day.
The official commemorations will be held at Tongogara Refugee camp on June 28 at an event where the Labour and Social Services minister Paurina Mpariwa is expected to officiate.
The theme for this year’s commemorations will be One family torn apart by war is too many.
Zimbabwe itself has had many thousands of internally displaced people who have, during election times, been forced to flee their homes due to political violence.
“These themes become all the more urgent when it is realised that this year marks a record year for forced displacement, with more people becoming refugees or internally displaced persons than at any time since 1994,” the UNHCR said in a statement issued yesterday.
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“The commission’s 2012 Global Statistical Trends Report has shown the extent of forced displacement from a string of major humanitarian crises that unravelled from 2012, starting with the events in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Sudan, Syria and the now cyclic scenes of violence in Somalia.”
The commission said over 7,6 million people had been newly displaced and out of this number, 1,1 million had fled their countries to seek refuge elsewhere as refugees.
This development translated into enormous personal cost and sacrifice for all those who were affected, the UN body said.
“On the occasion of the World Refugee Day this year, UNHCR wishes to record its sincere gratitude for the generosity the Government and people of Zimbabwe have continued to show towards persons arriving in the country as asylum-seekers, or as part of the ever growing phenomenon of persons who arrive in mixed migratory population flows principally through the Nyamapanda border entry post,” the commission said.
“In the case of Zimbabwe, UNHCR wishes to record its special thanks because despite the tremendous developmental and other challenges facing the country, both the government and people of Zimbabwe have remained committed to preserving the institution of asylum, and tolerating the presence of refugees and other persons of concern on Zimbabwean territory, and most importantly, sharing the meagre resources such as health and medical facilities as well as ensuring the personal security for refugees and other persons of concern.”
The UN body also said it recognised with gratitude, the fact that the government of Zimbabwe had ratified the Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons last month.
