School fees imposed in Chad refugee camps

People in the refugee camps in eastern Chad have complained of the fees imposed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on basic school students. “The UNHCR imposed school fees of an amount equal to 4SDG ($0.70) in February,” Zein Mohamed, an activist of the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad told Radio Dabanga. “The director of the GRS organisation working  in the field of education told us that this decision came after a meeting between  UNHCR and the Chadian government. UNHCR justified the imposition of school fees by pointing to the improved conditions of the refugees, and the transformation from a state of emergency to a state of development. Parents of students are supposed to contribute to the education of their children.”   “They also told us that in this way the organisation’s expenses on education in the refugee camps will be reduced,” Mohamed added. File photo: A school in eastern Chad’s Touloum refugee camp Related:Darfur refugees in Chad destitute (19 March 2014) UNHCR official visits school Darfuri refugees in Chad (24 February 2014) Sudanese refugees face starvation in Chad camps (30 January 2014)