---
title: "NRC in Tanzania"
description: "We’ve been working in Tanzania since 2016 – providing shelter, clean water, sanitation and education to refugees from Burundi’s civil war and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/countries/africa/tanzania"
language: "en"
published: "2025-03-20T14:02:11Z"
modified: "2025-05-07T08:49:02Z"
---

# NRC in Tanzania

Photo: Ingrid Prestetun/NRC

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has been working in Tanzania since 2016 – providing shelter, clean water, sanitation and education to refugees from Burundi’s civil war and the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo).

Published 20. Mar 2025 Updated 07. May 2025

[Tanzania](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=110)

## What’s happening in Tanzania?

When civil war broke out in Burundi in 2015 – and conflict swept across DR Congo a few years later – thousands of refugees fled across the border to Tanzania. Many now live in Mtendeli and Nduta refugee camps close to the Burundian border, which lack adequate shelter, drinking water, education facilities and other basic services due to limited funding.

What’s more, the introduction of stringent policies in these camps has reduced opportunities for refugees to earn a living and become self-reliant. This has left them completely dependent on humanitarian aid in their host country.

## Our response

We’re working with our partners in the following areas:

- **Water, sanitation and hygiene** – installing water supply systems and sanitation facilities, as well as distributing soap and other hygiene essentials.
- **Shelter and settlements** – providing emergency shelters, constructing more permanent homes and maintaining access roads in the refugee camps.
- **Education** – establishing safe learning spaces in camps, training teachers and running vital vocational skills sessions.
- **Information, counselling and legal assistance** – helping families obtain birth certificates and other legal documentation, so they can claim rights for their children.

[Download the factsheet for NRC in Tanzania](https://www.nrc.no/resources/fact-sheets/nrc-tanzania--fact-sheet)

## Our operations

**NRC office established:** 2016

**Areas of operation:** Kigoma region

**Country Director:** Sumananjali Mohanty

**Contact:** [Sumananjali.Mohanty@nrc.no](mailto:Sumananjali.Mohanty@nrc.no)

## Our impact

In 2025, we assisted 189,807 people through our programmes in Tanzania:

- 914

  Shelter and settlements
- 8,531

  Information, counselling and legal assistance
- 189,807

  Water, sanitation and hygiene

***Note:** some people received more than one type of assistance.*

### News and stories

## [Nine years supporting refugees in western Tanzania](https://www.nrc.no/perspectives/2026/nine-years-supporting-refugees-in-western-tanzania)

19. Jul 2026 | Tanzania

## [Building women's climate resilience](https://www.nrc.no/expert-deployment/2016/2020/building-womens-climate-resilience)

23. Dec 2020 | Africa|Kenya|Malawi|Niger|Tanzania

## [Tanzania crisis ignored: “You people should look at us”](https://www.nrc.no/news/2019/march/tanzania-crisis-ignored-you-people-should-look-at-us)

07. Mar 2019 | Tanzania

[More news and stories](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=123,125,172,335,110&searchMethod=1)

### Publications

## [Final Research Report - NRC's Never Too Late to Learn Programme in Tanzania and the DRC](https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/never-too-late-to-learn-programme-in-tanzania-and-the-drc)

08. Feb 2023 | DR Congo|Tanzania

## [NRC Eastern Africa and Yemen Annual report 2016](https://www.nrc.no/resources/annual-reports/nrc-eastern-africa-and-yemen-annual-report-2016)

04. Jul 2017 | Djibouti|Eritrea|Ethiopia|Kenya|Somalia|South Sudan|Tanzania|Yemen

[More publications](https://www.nrc.no/search?searchCategories=124,131,132,175,178,315,110&searchMethod=1)

**Region:** East Africa  
**Population:** 70.55 million  
**Total displaced:** 4,369  
**Refugees hosted:** 0.21 million