UNHCR provides humanitarian assistance to inmates in prisons

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has assisted the inmate in three prisons of Kigoma region with goods worth Tsh 27 million.

The supported items include 60 mattresses per prison, 200 blankets per prison, washing and bathing soap, lubricating oil, toothpaste, and mosquito repellent to prisoners of Bangwe, Kwitanga, and Ilagala.

Speaking during the delivery UNHCR senior protection unit in Kigoma region Peter Muriuki explained that, UNHCR plans to cooperate with the government and other development partners, has been providing humanitarian assistance to refugees as well as the host community in Kigoma region.

Muriuki noted that in the prisons department, UNHCR has provided a variety of assistance to facilitate administrative matters including IT equipment such as computers and communication systems and that the provision of such support to prisoners is the recognition that in there are the presence of refugee prisoners and other foreign nationals who need social services from relatives, kin, and friends

Dignity includes caring for inmates in prisons, when we help them we give them the opportunity to learn good manners – Peter Muriuk UNHCR Kigoma pic.twitter.com/WtPVpFsYN7

— Prosper L. Kwigize (@PeaceTanzania) February 11, 2022

On his side, the head of Kwitanga strategic prison, Assistant Commissioner Dr. Uswege Mwakahesye acknowledged that like any other society, prisoners also face many challenges that require other stakeholders to contribute, including infrastructure and other humanitarian services

The acting head of Ilagara Agricultural Prison in Uvinza District, Inspector Charles Sinzira, speaking, said that the UNHCR support comes on time due to the fact that many prisons in Kigoma region retain and rehabilitate prisoners most from neighboring countries and former refugees mostly from Burundi.

It is reported that many prisoners who are citizens from other countries especially the Republic of Burundi with large numbers of people suffer from a shortage of basic necessities due to the lack of close relatives to visit and comfort them as Tanzanian prisoners who are visited by their relatives under a special prison regulation.

Recently, UNHCR Tanzania representative Ms. Mahoua Parums recently visited Kigoma region where she officially handed over the former Burundian refugee camp to Mtendeli to the Tanzanian government for using its infrastructure for social activities. One of the activities mentioned by the Government in Kigoma during the handover ceremony was that they will change the former Mtendelii police station into Kakonko District Prison.

Writer: Prosper Kwigize

Edited By. Adela Madyane