Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Foreign Affairs today visited Meheba Refugee Settlement in Zambia’s North Western Province.
The Parliamentary Committee was on a familiarization visit to the refugee settlement and the new resettlement scheme to meet with refugees, former refugees, humanitarian workers and government officials.
The Committee also toured various projects and services, such as schools, health centres and the infrastructure in the resettlement scheme.
The committee that was led by its Chairperson, Keembe Member of Parliament Ronnie Shikapwasha, was comprised of seven other Members of Parliament and parliament staff and was accompanied to Meheba by the Commissioner for Refugees in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jacob Mphepo, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Zambia, Laura Lo Castro.
Tomorrow and Monday, the Committee will meet with traditional leaders, Chiefs Mumena and Matebo, as well as visit local integration projects and hold public hearings in these chiefdoms.
During the visit to Chief Mumena’s area, the Committee will commission a 1 by 3 classroom block at Mumena A School built by UNHCR, thanks to a donation of the Government of Japan, at a total cost of K450, 000, to support the communities that have been hosting refugees for years.
And Ms. Castro has described the visit of the Parliamentary Committee to Meheba as a clear indication of the Government’s commitment to and strong interest in the welfare of refugees and the local integration programme.
Zambia hosts 51, 281refugees and others of concern from Angola, Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with Meheba hosting 17,377.
This is contained in a statement released to Qfm News by UNHCR Zambia Public Information Associate Kelvin Shimoh.