After decades of conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), hundreds of thousands of refugees are returning home to the country they love. UN Refugee Agency worker, Francesca Fontanini, sent this letter from the field to share her experience of this historic event and the important role you play.

“It is very moving to see people getting off the boat after the long journey across Lake Tanganika, and the years they have been away. The majority of the returnees are women and children, as most of the men lost their lives in the terrible conflicts.

Now, there is a degree of calm and people are returning to be part of the economic and democratic reconstruction of their country. Our awareness campaigns have made it clear that they are coming home to ruined roads, inadequate food and a lack of clean drinking water. Even so, they are desperate to come back. I have spoken to many returnees at our Transit Centre in Baraka, where they receive food and other items to help them resettle, and they tell me there is no greater sorrow than the loss of their homeland.

In spite of all the hardship there is a real sense of optimism and we are doing all we can to help them face the difficult first months of their return. Even a single watering can or one plastic sheet to help build their new house can bring such great relief. I hope my letter has shed some light on the situation here, where thousands of people are returning to rebuild their lives. Thanks to your support we are working to make sure their homecoming is the joyful start of a new life, not just a return to more suffering.”

For more of the latest news on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, visit the DRC Country page on the UNHCR's International website.

The Emergency Response Team has been deployed several times in 2006. They remain active in Chad, assisting refugees from Darfur. Moreover, they have been deployed in Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon and East Timor.

Focus on East Timor “In just a few days we had people moving from horrific, cramped conditions into proper shelters. We received two large deliveries of aid and had positive responses from security forces to our calls for better security” ERT Leader Johann Siffointe from Dili.

Johann had just 48 hours to prepare before stepping on a plane and taking on the responsibility of helping nearly 150,000 refugees living in 55 makeshift camps. It’s a huge adjustment to make – “there was an enormous amount of information to absorb to ensure our response was on target, and we needed to understand the complexities quickly,” he says. However he’s proud of the Team’s work, which in the first few weeks focused on providing security, shelter and relief including:

• 3,620 tents
• 17,750 blankets
• 3,520 kitchen sets
• 3,600 jerry cans
• 3,550 plastic sheeting.

Canadian donor profile: Coast Realty Group

Chris Fenton and Esther Fenton know the value of shelter. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton at Coast Realty Group in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island are making a contribution to the UN Refugee Agency each time they help a client buy or sell a new home. Refugees are, by definition, people who have had to run from their home in search of safety for themselves and their families. The UN Refugee Agency is there, helping to provide shelter – both physical shelter from wind, rain, sand and snow, as well as protection from further abuse and violence. Generous donations from Coast Realty Group, combined with the support of donors from around the world, make this work possible. The UN Refugee Agency in Canada would like to acknowledge and celebrate the exemplary corporate citizenship of Mr. Fenton and Mrs. Fenton.