The World Food Programme (WFP) has raised concerns about the challenge of meeting the food requirements of refugees in Rwanda.

It made this known while welcoming a contribution of U.S.$7.2 million from the United States, through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, to provide life-saving food assistance for Rwandan refugees.

The food assistance comes in the form of cash transfers and treatment for malnutrition including social and behavioural change initiatives for 113,500 refugees living in all five camps in Rwanda.

The WFP said despite this generous funding, it is still not able to provide full rations to meet the minimum food requirements for refugees in the East African country.

The WFP said it introduced, in partnership with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a needs-based targeting approach in May 2021 – a system under which refugees are given food rations according to their levels of vulnerability.

Available data from UNHCR shows that Rwanda hosted up to 126,485 refugees and asylum-seekers in August 2022.

It further revealed that the population of concern mainly included people from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (60.05 percent) and Burundi (39.37 percent).

WFP’s Acting Country Director for Rwanda, Ahmareen Karim, said this contribution from the United States came at a time it was most needed.

She said, ‘With the recent arrival of over 100 new refugees every day from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rising costs of food, energy and transport, refugees are now, more than ever, in need of assistance to enable them to progress towards self-reliance’.

According to WFP, the cash has been used to address essential needs in local markets, while also helping to boost local economies.

‘Due to funding shortfalls, the most vulnerable refugees currently receive 92 percent of a full ration and those deemed moderately vulnerable receive 46 percent of a full ration’, a statement on the WFP website read.

‘This ensures that the most vulnerable refugees are prioritised for food assistance while the least vulnerable refugees are supported to become more self-reliant’.

Photo source: Elisa Finocchiaro