Rwanda: return of refugees

In response to last week's emergency caused by the forcible repatriation of thousands of Rwandan refugees from Burundi, the ICRC - along with other humanitarian organizations - has been working in the Butare region to try to deal with the problems arising from the operation. ICRC teams took dozens of sick and wounded people from the border to the transit camp set up in Butare by UNHCR, and moved swiftly to install a water supply for the camp. ICRC delegates are trying to locate the parents of some 150 unaccompanied children who are among those repatriated. Six of these children became separated from their families during the recent repatriation. In the returnees'areas of origin, ICRC teams are keeping a close watch on conditions and are visiting people arrested by the authorities. A total of 80,000 detainees are currently being monitored by the ICRC in Rwanda.