Refugees left unattended in Dar guest houses

SOME refugees from Kasulu camp which is managed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who had been transferred to Dar es Salaam for medical treatment are hardly surviving for lack of money since the start of this year, The Guardian on Sunday can reveal. The refugees, who are being accommodated in two different local guest houses namely Elly Tex House and Bosco guest house both located at Ilala suburb in the city of Dar es Salaam, are under the care of a locally registered care group firm known as Relief to Development Society (REDESO) now for a year since they came. The society entered into contract with the UNHCR to undertake medical care as well as treatment for their refugees who fall sick and need to be transferred to referral hospitals such as the Muhimbili National hospital in Dar es Salaam city and anywhere else in the country. Investigations has discovered that, since the start of this year, all refugees who have been accommodated for shelter in these two different guest houses have not been given their subsistence allowances which enables them to buy food since the start of this year. In an exclusive interview with this paper, they have expressed their disappointment and thrown blame to their care giver whom they have accused of taking no seriousness of the matter on the humanitarian grounds.  Speaking on condition of anonymity, they have expressed their sympathy and noted that have been surviving by help of well wishers and workers at guest houses where they have been lodged. A spot check at one of the guest in which are accommodated namely Elly Tex House which is located at a junction of Arusha and Lindi street at Ilala found a miserable circumstances as a pregnant woman, a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is surviving by drinking water and little food offered by well wishers and workers of the guest house who probably might have had a great sympathy on her because of her pregnancy which is nearing to delivery. Another refugee, who did not want his name or his nationality to be mentioned in the newspaper, noted that REDESO accounts them Sh. 5,000 per day the money that is paid in lumpsum for fifteen days totaling Sh. 75,000 to buy only food from morning till they go to bed. With this amount of money however, he says that is not enough to cater for other daily requirements such as the basic necessities of human everyday life since he entered in the city in March 2012 to undergo a medical treatment. The sympathizing refugees most of whom comes from neighbouring countries of Burundi and DRC and few others who came from Ethiopia possessing valid permits issued by UNHCR that identifies them to be seeking for the political asylum in the country. The political asylum seekers wonders as to how the UNHCR pays accommodation for them amounting to Sh. 300,000 per month per room on which each one of them is located, and yet it delays to pay them money for their meals to keep them alive. In his understanding, being sick he is worried if the government is quite aware of the problems facing him and other refugees at a guest house and what appropriate action is being taken by the relevant authorities to solve the matter. He is on the view of the fact that, incase one of them dies for lack of proper diet, how could they treat the issue? He queried. Responding to such claims, REDESO General Manager Mbekenya Desdeurius who admitted the situation said in a telephone interview that, his organization which was given the mandate to deal with the medical clearances for the refugees in the country had no money as they had not yet received fund from UNHCR an aspect that they failed to pay them on time. However, he further noted that, these would be paid today on Monday. Elaborating on what had caused the delay, he affirmed that, the delay was due to the fact that, his organization had not yet settled down new contracts for the year 2013. “You know we had delayed to pay the refugees on time because of the important logistics basing on the delay of contractual basis between UNHCR and his organization owing t a number of factors including a series of Christmas festivities and new year” he said adding that, the money is already signed and would be given to refugees as usual. REDESO is one of the leading projects implementing partner to the UNHCR in refugee camps and local communities in Tanzania. Also the organization is implementing sustainable community development programs in refugee-affected areas in Kagera Region, Kigoma Region and Tanga Region. The organization concerns with relief and development to local and International displaced communities and other vulnerable local communities. Since the inception, the organization has initiated and managed project assignments for the government of Tanzania international organizations, donor agencies and local NGOs.