KIGALI, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda joined the international community in marking World Refugee Day on Friday, reaffirming its commitment to improving refugees' livelihoods in a safe and dignified manner.
Held under the theme "Solidarity with Refugees," the event in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, brought together government officials, humanitarian actors, refugee representatives, civil society, and international partners to honor the strength, courage, and resilience of refugees.
Rwanda's Minister in charge of Emergency Management Albert Murasira reiterated the importance of collective action in improving refugee livelihoods and advancing their journey toward self-reliance.
He cited ensuring refugees' financial inclusion, freedom of movement, integration into the national education system, and access to work opportunities as some of the key interventions being implemented to improve the livelihoods of refugees in Rwanda.
"We have to join our efforts to achieve Rwanda's aspiration of sustainably graduating 50 percent of refugee households hosted in the country from humanitarian assistance by 2030," he added.
The event featured refugee cultural performances and testimonies on how refugees are coping amid decreasing humanitarian aid.
Aissatou Dieng Ndiaye, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) country representative, said that while honoring the resilience of refugees in Rwanda and beyond -- from access to education to the pursuit of self-reliance -- there is a need to ensure that no one is left behind.
Rwanda has invested in policies and practices that integrate refugees into national systems alongside Rwandan citizens.
For example, refugees and asylum seekers in Rwanda are included in the national identity system, which enables their access to banking and other financial services needed to improve their livelihoods.
Up to 99 percent of refugees in Rwanda have access to financial services, compared to 92 percent of Rwandan citizens, according to the 2024 Access to Finance Rwanda report.
Latest data from the UNHCR suggested that Rwanda hosts over 135,000 refugees and asylum seekers, the majority of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. ■
