Mahama Refugee Camp Explained

Official Name:Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda
Pushpin Map:Rwanda
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Rwanda
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Rwanda
Subdivision Type1:Admin. Province
Subdivision Name1:Eastern Province
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Kirehe District
Population As Of:2023 Estimate
Population Density Km2:auto

Mahama Refugee Camp is a refugee camp in Kirehe District in the Eastern Province of Rwanda, near the Kagera River which is the border with Tanzania. In 2016, it had over 50,000 residents, making it the size of one of Rwanda's ten largest cities. In 2021, there were over 100,000 refugees in Rwanda and most of them were here. In 2023 the population was over 58,000 with the majority under the age of 18.

History

Since 2015, more than 280,000 Burundians had been forced to flee and to seek refuge in neighbouring countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.[1] Among them, were more than 47,000 who went to Rwanda.[1] Mahama Refugee Camp was founded in April 2015.

In September 2016 it was estimated that the camp housed just over 50,000 refugees of several nationalities with more arriving each day.[2] This camp is considered to be a model case of refugee management in the East African Region.[3] Initially the camp consisted of just tents but within 18 months semipermanent buildings were being built using mud bricks. The camp in 2016 had a school with over 100 classrooms where over 11,000 children attended what had become the largest school in Rwanda. The camp had local leaders in the 25 "villages" that make up the camp as well as two health centres, a bus service and a market of stall holders. In eighteen months the refugee camp rivalled the sixth biggest city in Rwanda in terms of population.[2]

In 2021 there were estimated to be 125,000 refugees in Rwanda despite 27,000 returning to Burundi. Only 10% of these still in Rwanda were not in refugee camps. The vast majority of these were in Mahama.[4] The camp remeins full as refugees were moved here from Gihembe camp which closed in October and another camp's refugees (Kigeme) will be moved in when Mahama has space to spare.[5]

In 2021 the International Paralympic Committee decided to support six athletes as part of the Independent Paralympic Athletes at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. Parfait Hakizimana of the Taekwondo Humanitarian Foundation, who is from Mahama, was one of the athletes. He competed in Tokyo at Taekwondo[6] in the under 61 kg category.[7] At the Games, Hakizimana withdrew from the repechage section due to an injury.[8]

In February 2023 UNHCR said that there were over 58,000 people living there with the majority being under the age of eighteen.[9]

Notable residents

Burundian parataekwondo practitioner Parfait Hakizimana resides in the camp.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Situation Burundi Situation . 2021-07-03 . data2.unhcr.org.
  2. Web site: Mahama: Now a Safe Haven for over 50,000 Burundian refugees . 2021-07-02 . UNHCR Rwanda . en.
  3. Bwiza News, "Kirehe : Le Camp De Réfugiés De Mahama Devenu Une Ville Modèle", Avril 2017, https://francais.bwiza.com/kirehe-le-camp-de-refugies-de-mahama-devenu-une-ville-modele/
  4. Web site: Şafak . Yeni . US donates $5.3M in food aid for Rwanda refugees . 2021-07-02 . Yeni Şafak . tr-TR.
  5. Web site: WFP Rwanda Country Brief, October 2021 - Rwanda. 2021-12-18. ReliefWeb. en.
  6. Web site: Refugees . United Nations High Commissioner for . IPC announces six athletes to compete for the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games . 2021-06-30 . UNHCR . en.
  7. Park . Jun-Hee . 2020-01-30 . Effect of the Artistic Value and Brand Asset of Taekwondo Performances Perceived by University Taekwondo Demonstration Player's . The World Society of Taekwondo Culture . 26 . 85–103 . 10.18789/jwstc.2020.26.85 . 213012357 . 2233-453X.
  8. News: Taekwondo kicks its way into Paralympics. Agence France-Presse. France 24. 2 September 2021. 6 September 2021.
  9. Web site: 2023-03-23 . UNHCR Rwanda: Mahama Refugee Camp Factsheet (February 2023) - Rwanda ReliefWeb . 2023-12-26 . reliefweb.int . en.
  10. Web site: Refugee taekwondo athlete hopes for more competition chances . 2021-07-02 . www.insidethegames.biz.