Tanzania to supply refugee camps with Covid-19 vaccines: Official

Dar Es Salaam, Aug 3 The government of Tanzania is planning to supply refugee camps in Kigoma, Tabora and Katavi regions with Covid-19 vaccines, a senior official said on Monday.

"The distribution of vaccines is among efforts by the government aimed at protecting the refugees from the pandemic," said Khamis Hamza Chilo, the country's Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.

He said refugee camps officials had started to register names of refugees who are ready to receive the jabs, adding that the refugees will be vaccinated voluntarily, the Xinhua news agency reported.

However, Chilo did not state when the vaccines would be available for the refugees.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Tanzania hosted about 253,000 refugees, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as of June 30, 2021.

On July 28, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the country's COVID-19 vaccination drive and received a jab of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

On July 24, Tanzania received over 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility.