ABSTRACT
The security issue affected all types of humanitarian assistance, at times seriously interrupting the relief programs. Working in an extremely inhospitable physical environment, international aid organizations faced a formidable challenge of providing humanitarian assistance and protection under conditions of violence, intimidation, and corruption in the camps. In Zaire, the difficulties were compounded by tense relations with the local authorities and Zairean soldiers. The security problems were in part a result of unpreparedness, so the issue of contingency planning must be dealt with first. In response to the crisis in Burundi in October 1993 and the subsequent outflow of refugees to Tanzania, UN High Commissioner for Refugees undertook a mission to the Great Lakes Region to assess its preparedness for a larger refugee emergency. The security situation seriously affected the repatriation, but conditions within Rwanda were also important. Immediately after the mid-July influx to Goma, people started to return to Rwanda, evidently because of the conditions in the camps.
