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2015 UNHCR country operations profile - Republic of the Congo

| Overview |

Working environment

UNHCR 2015 Congo country operations map

  • 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.

UNHCR 2015 planning figures for Congo
Type of population Origin January 2015 December 2015
Total in country Of whom assisted
by UNHCR
Total in country Of whom assisted
by UNHCR
Total 49,430 49,430 49,230 49,230
Refugees Central African Rep. 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 17,000 17,000 17,650 17,650
Rwanda 8,500 8,500 8,100 8,100
Various 560 560 460 460
Asylum-seekers Chad 120 120 100 100
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 1,620 1,620 1,330 1,330
Rwanda 200 200 170 170
Various 310 310 250 250
Returnee arrivals during year (ex-refugees) Congo 30 30 30 30
Others of concern Angola 550 550 550 550
Dem. Rep. of the Congo 180 180 200 200
Rwanda 250 250 260 260
Various 120 120 130 130

| 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.

2015 UNHCR partners in Congo
Implementing partners
NGOs: African Initiatives for Relief and Development, Agence d'Assistance aux Rapatriés et aux Réfugiés au Congo, Commission d'Entraide pour les Migrants et les Réfugiés, Médecins d'Afrique
Operational partners
Government agencies: Comité National d'Assistance aux Réfugiés
Others: ICRC, IOM, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, WHO

| 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


UNHCR contact information

The UNHCR Representation in the Republic of the Congo
Style of Address Le Représentant du H.C.R. en République du Congo
Street Address 6, Rue 18 Mars 1977, Quartier Cathedrale, Brazzaville, Congo
Mailing Address B.P. 1093, Brazzaville, Congo
Telephone 41 22 739 7278
Facsimile 41 22 739 7279
Email cobbr@unhcr.org
Time Zone GMT + 1
Working Hours
Monday:8:00 - 16:30
Tuesday:8:00 - 16:30
Wednesday:8:00 - 16:30
Thursday:8:00 - 16:30
Friday:8:00 - 16:30
Saturday:
Sunday:
Public Holidays 01 January 2015, NEW YEAR
03 April 2015, GOOD FRIDAY
06 April 2015, EASTER MONDAY
01 May 2015, LABOUR'S DAY
18 July 2015, AID AL FITR
15 August 2015, FETE NATIONAL ASSUMPTION
23 September 2015, AID AL ADHA
01 November 2015, TOUSSAINT
28 November 2015, REPUBLIC DAY
25 December 2015, CHRISTMAS
The UNHCR Field Office in Betou
Style of Address The UNHCR Head of Field Office in Betou
Street Address 6, Rue du 18 mars 1977, Quartier Mission Catholique Sacre Cœur, Brazzaville, Congo
Mailing Address Case Postale 1093, Brazzaville, Congo
Telephone 242 05 737 3701
Facsimile 4122 739 7279
Email cobbe@unhcr.org
Time Zone GMT + 1
Working Hours
Monday:08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday:08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday:08:00 - 16:30
Thursday:08:00 - 16:30
Friday:08:00 - 16:30
Saturday:
Sunday:
Public Holidays 01 January 2015, NEW YEAR
03 April 2015, GOOD FRIDAY
06 April 2015, EASTER MONDAY
01 May 2015, LABOUR'S DAY
18 July 2015, AID AL FITR
15 August 2015, FETE NATIONAL ASSUMPTION
23 September 2015, AID AL ADHA
01 November 2015, TOUSSAINT
28 November 2015, REPUBLIC DAY
25 December 2015, CHRISTMAS
The UNHCR Field Office in Impfondo
Style of Address The UNHCR Head of Field Office in Impfondo
Street Address 336, Avenue Denis Sassou Nguesso, Impfondo, Congo
Mailing Address Case postale 1093, 6, Rue du 18 mars 1977, Quartier Mission Catholique Sacre Coeur, Brazzaville, Congo
Telephone 242 549 7301
Facsimile 4122 739 7279
Email cobim@unhcr.org
Time Zone GMT + 1
Working Hours
Monday:08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday:08:00 - 16:30
Wednesday:08:00 - 16:30
Thursday:08:00 - 16:30
Friday:08:00 - 16:30
Saturday:
Sunday:
Public Holidays 01 January 2015, NEW YEAR
03 April 2015, GOOD FRIDAY
06 April 2015, EASTER MONDAY
01 May 2015, LABOUR'S DAY
18 July 2015, AID AL FITR
15 August 2015, FETE NATIONAL ASSUMPTION
23 September 2015, AID AL ADHA
01 November 2015, TOUSSAINT
28 November 2015, REPUBLIC DAY
25 December 2015, CHRISTMAS
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Statistical Snapshot*
* As at December 2014
  1. Country or territory of asylum or residence.
  2. Persons recognized as refugees under the 1951 UN Convention/1967 Protocol, the 1969 OAU Convention, in accordance with the UNHCR Statute, persons granted a complementary form of protection and those granted temporary protection. It also includes persons in a refugee-like situation for whom refugee status has, for practical or other reasons, not been ascertained. In the absence of Government figures, UNHCR has estimated the refugee population in many industrialized countries based on 10 years of individual asylum-seeker recognition.
  3. Persons whose applications for asylum or refugee status are pending at the end of 2014 at any stage in the asylum procedure.
  4. Refugees who have returned to their place of origin during 2014. Source: country of origin and asylum.
  5. Persons who are displaced within their country and to whom UNHCR extends protection and assistance. It also includes people in IDP-like situations. This category is descriptive in nature and includes groups of persons who are inside their country of nationality or habitual residence and who face protection risks similar to those of IDPs but who, for practical or other reasons, could not be reported as such.
  6. IDPs protected/assisted by UNHCR who have returned to their place of origin during 2014.
  7. Refers to persons who are not considered as nationals by any State under the operation of its law. This category refers to persons who fall under the agency's statelessness mandate because they are stateless according to this international definition, but data from some countries may also include persons with undetermined nationality.
  8. Refers to individuals who do not necessarily fall directly into any of the other groups but to whom UNHCR may extend its protection and/or assistance services. These activities might be based on humanitarian or other special grounds.
The data are generally provided by Governments, based on their own definitions and methods of data collection.
A dash (-) indicates that the value is zero, not available or not applicable.

Source: UNHCR/Governments.
Compiled by: UNHCR, FICSS.
Residing in Republic of the Congo [1]
Refugees [2] 54,842
Asylum Seekers [3] 3,199
Returned Refugees [4] 14
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) [5] 0
Returned IDPs [6] 0
Stateless Persons [7] 0
Various [8] 1,050
Total Population of Concern 59,105
Originating from Republic of the Congo [1]
Refugees [2] 14,497
Asylum Seekers [3] 3,444
Returned Refugees [4] 14
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) [5] 0
Returned IDPs [6] 0
Various [8] 103
Total Population of Concern 18,058

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The Most Important Thing: Central African Republic Refugees

Over the past year, the UN refugee agency has run a series of photosets on its website by American photographer Brian Sokol focusing on the possessions that refugees take with them when they are forced to flee from their homes. We started last August with Sudanese refugees in South Sudan and have since covered refugees from Syria and Mali.

Last year, Sokol visited the northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to ask refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) the same question: What is the most important thing you brought with you? He again received interesting answers from a wide range of people from rural and urban areas of CAR, where inter-communal violence has spiralled out of control. They are featured here and include a sandal that helped an old woman, a pair of crutches used by a man to reach safety and a boy's photo of his slain father. Another boy named the family members who escaped to safety with him as his most important possession - many would feel the same.

Tens of thousands of people have fled from CAR to neighbouring countries since December 2012, including 60,000 into northern DRC. Some 30,000 of them live in four refugee camps set up by UNHCR and the others are hosted by local families. For the majority, there was no time to pack before escaping. They fled extreme violence and chaos and arrived exhausted and traumatized in the DRC. They could take only the most essential and lightest belongings. The photos here were taken at Batanga Transit Centre, Boyabo Refugee Camp and Libenge village.

The Most Important Thing: Central African Republic Refugees

Congo's river refugees

More than 100,000 Congolese refugees have crossed the Oubangui River in search of safety in neighbouring Republic of the Congo since inter-ethnic violence erupted in their home areas late last year. They fled from Equateur province in the north-west of Democratic Republic of the Congo after Enyele militiamen launched deadly assaults in October on ethnic Munzayas over fishing and farming rights in the Dongo area. The tensions have spread to other parts of the province.

The majority of the displaced are camping in public buildings and some 100 sites along a 600-kilometre stretch of the Oubangui River, including with host communities. The massive influx is stretching the meagre resources of the impoverished and remote region. Help is urgently needed for both the refugees and the host communities.

The relief operation is logistically complex and expensive because the region can only be reached by plane or boat. However, few boats are available and most are in need of repair. Fuel is expensive and difficult to procure.

Congo's river refugees

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Uganda: New Camp, New Arrivals

Recent fighting in eastern Congo has seen thousands of civilians flee to a new camp, Bubukwanga, in neighboring Uganda.

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Refugees in Republic of Congo

UNHCR struggles to reach isolated groups of refugees who fled inter-ethnic violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. More than 100,000 are sheltering in neighbouring Republic of Congo.
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Tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled a wave of ethnic violence in the north-west of the embattled Democratic Republic of the Congo. The civilians have fled from Equateur province, crossing the Ubangi River and seeking shelter in Republic of the Congo.