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UN refugee agency finalizes infrastructure for refugees in Zambia

Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations (UN) refugee agency on Wednesday handed over some infrastructures to the Zambian government for an integration program of former refugees.

The government is currently implementing a program of integrating former Angolan refugees in its communities who decided to remain in the country. In 2011 Zambia pledged to integrate about 10,000 former Angolan refugees. It also has plans to integrate former Rwandan refugees.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Zambia Laura Lo Castro handed over the infrastructure at a refugee camp, Mayukwayukwa in western Zambia worth 883,000 U.S. dollars.

This is part of the 1.6 million dollars worth infrastructure upgrading and construction projects at two refugee camps in the province.

Constructed as part of the local integration program in the Mayukwayukwa Resettlement Scheme, the infrastructure includes education, health facilities and a bulking center, and will benefit both Zambians and former refugees, a statement emailed to Xinhua said.

"The local integration program has reached a critical stage when most activities will soon be handed over to the government of Zambia and other development partners. We are confident that Zambians and former refugees living in this scheme will enjoy a prosperous and healthy life," the UNHCR representative said.

She has since thanked donors for supporting the integration program and described their gesture as a clear demonstration of their commitment to seek durable solutions for former refugees.

The local integration program is a three-year government led project aiming at facilitating legal integration of eligible former refugees, ensuring that former refugees and their Zambian hosts, settling in the two designated schemes, have access to basic social services and maintaining peaceful coexistence with neighboring villages.

The UN refugee agency has been supporting the Zambian government by soliciting funding from cooperating partners to implement different projects.

Zambia currently hosts 53,000 persons of concern in urban areas, the two settlements and resettlement schemes in other parts of the country, according to the refugee agency. Endit