A refugee family on the move in Kibondo District

Rumors of war spread ... hostility builds ... and then it happens: the fighting begins. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people find themselves caught in the cross-fire, and they know that running is the only viable option. So they begin their escape to a foreign land, leaving behind their homes and belongings, rushing to a safer place but also into a sea of uncertainty. How will they be received by their host country? Will there be food? Will they have water? Will their rights be protected? Will they ever be able to return home? And who will take care of them until they can?

In 1964, the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS) was established to provide emergency relief refugees who fled to Tanzania. Over the course of the intervening decades, Tanzania has hosted more refugees than any other sub-Saharan African country - providing shelter to hundreds of thousands of families and individuals fleeing conflicts, wars, and genocides in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, and other neighboring countries - and TCRS has been at the forefront of assisting the UNHCR and Government of Tanzania's efforts to protect and serve these vulnerable populations.

For more information on our refugee programs in Kibondo District, the Old Settlements, and urban areas or on our refugee advocacy activities, please visit the links listed in the menu to the right.