KIGALI, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan government Thursday launched the issuance of identification cards (IDs) for refugees in the country that will allow them access to public and private services, employment and to move more freely in the country.
Rwanda's minister in charge of refugee affairs De Bonheur Jeanne D'Arc and Ahmed Baba Fall, Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to Rwanda, launched the issuance of the IDs in Rwandan capital Kigali.
The launch started by issuing 2,761 refugee identity cards in Kigali City and the distribution will proceed in other parts of the country, the minister explained.
Verification is ongoing in Nyabihekerefugee camp located in Gatsibo district, eastern Rwanda.
Minister De Bonheur explained that the issuance of refugee IDs is fulfillment of the commitment made by Rwandan government at the United Nations leaders' summit in September 2016 in New York.
The move is part of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework aimed at making refugees self-reliant by empowering them to enroll in several economic development initiatives, according to the ministry.
According to Ahmed Baba Fall, helping refugees rebuild their lives calls for concerted efforts from host countries and the UN.
Rwanda currently hosts about 153,000 refugees mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to statistics of the ministry of refugees.
