New plant supplies clean water to Rwanda's Burundi refugees

Rwanda's ministry of disaster management and refugee affairs and UNICEF on Wednesday launched permanent water treatment for tens of thousands of Burundian refugees living in the country's largest refugee camp.

Mahama camp in Eastern province hosts about 60,000 Burundian refugees, many of whom had fled from violence related to presidential elections in Burundi last year.

The high-tech water treatment plant is using electricity to pump and treat 900,000 liters of fresh water from the Akagera River on the Tanzanian border to supply 60,000 Burundian refugees and host communities on a daily basis.

The water treatment scheme comes at a time when the refugees and the surrounding communities desperately needed access to clean water.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, minister of disaster management and refugees affairs Seraphine Mukantabana said the treatment plant will provide an important source of clean and safe water to refugees and also benefits local communities.

"Providing clean water and sanitation facilities helps to keep refugee camps disease-free. We are now relieved of water scarcity problems in this refugee camp," she explained.

The water treatment project was funded by the government of Rwanda in partnership with UNHCR, UNICEF and was implemented by Oxfam Rwanda. Endit