Republic of the Congo

2015 UNHCR country operations profile - Republic of the Congo

| Overview |

Working environment

• UNHCR's operations in the Congo focus on protecting and providing life-saving assistance for refugees who fled the ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR).

• The Office is committed to finding durable solutions for refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), who are living in the Likouala region, as well as for Angolan and Rwandan refugees. UNHCR's efforts to facilitate access to residency cards face serious challenges. The Office will work with the Government of the Congo towards a local integration strategy.

• The protection environment has deteriorated with cases of refoulement reported, as well as police operations against foreigners. The implementation of laws forbidding non-nationals from accessing several income-generating activities has increased refugees' dependency on UNHCR.

• The local community in the Likouala region has welcomed Central African refugees and the authorities have identified land to develop a new site. The Government has also allowed refugees from all nationalities to attend national schools.

People of concern

In 2015, UNHCR plans to support the following populations in the Congo: refugees from the DRC who fled inter-communal violence in the Equateur Province and sought refuge in north-eastern Congo in 2009-2010; CAR refugees who fled violence and continue to arrive, mostly to the Betou area; Rwandan refugees who fled in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide and found refuge in the DRC, before fleeing to the Congo during the Congolese war of 1996; and asylum-seekers, mainly coming from the DRC, most of whom live in Brazzaville.

| Response |

Needs and strategies

The protection strategy in 2015 will continue to focus on the search for durable solutions, particularly in setting out a strategy for the local integration of DRC refugees living in Likouala, and for Rwandan refugees who did not repatriate. Refugees will need assistance to cover the costs of residency cards for their legal integration.

The processing of more than 4,000 exemption cases for Rwandan refugees following the June 2013 declaration of the cessation clause will also be a priority. UNHCR's counterpart, the Comité National d'Assistance aux Réfugiés (CNAR), will need support to build its capacity to do this.

Efforts will focus on ensuring that: CAR refugees are registered; they receive documentation; refugee exposure to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is reduced; refugees can access primary and secondary health care; peaceful cohabitation is promoted; and educational and vocational activities are implemented.

In order to reduce refugees' dependency on food aid and improve their food security, UNHCR will support livelihood and income-generating activities for them.

| Implementation |

Coordination

In 2015, UNHCR will continue to work with the CNAR, which is the governmental body for all activities relating to refugees in the Congo. Coordination with other UN agencies, particularly those who intervene in various refugee programmes, will be strengthened to ensure that the gaps are covered. Monthly coordination meetings with partners will continue to ensure that objectives are achieved. In the field, multifunctional teams will continue to monitor and evaluate activities to rationalize resources and take necessary corrective measures to maximize results.

| Financial information |

The facilitated-repatriation programme launched in May 2012 was concluded in June 2014. Central African refugees began arriving in the Congo in March 2013 and have continued to do so. The budget reflected this trend showing an increase of USD 4.5 million from 2012 to a 2014 revised budget of USD 35.1 million. UNHCR's operational budget for 2015 is set at USD 35.3 million.

Funding shortages will affect life-saving activities as well as the Office's ability to support education, which is particularly important given the young and urban population demographics.

Source: UNHCR Global Appeal 2015 Update

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