Meheba (Zambia): theft of mattresses from the camp

More than 40 mattresses were stolen from the Meheba camp’s transit center in Zambia. They bring to more than 300, the number of mattresses missing for two years. 6 people including refugees were arrested. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The theft is attributed to two Congolese refugees, three guards and an employer from the Meheba camp transit centre. They are accused of having planned and carried out the theft together, which other refugees denounce.

“Whoever holds the key to the stock should be solely responsible for the theft, or else the guardians. But the refugees have nothing to do with it and should be released. And then they are minor orphans, ”they react.

In total, more than 40 mattresses mysteriously disappeared from stock.

This situation has been denounced by Burundian refugees who sleep in sheds without mattresses or blankets.

“When we did the count, we found that since 2020, more than 300 mattresses have been stolen. And so the stock was relatively depleted so we needed those diapers,” they say.

This transit center normally welcomes asylum seekers in a camp that shelters more than 27,000 refugees, including more than 2,000 Burundians.