The journey took six days with the final leg of the climb which started at midnight ended at sunrise yesterday with the climbers making it to the coveted 5,895 meters above sea level.
With the raised funds, 10 schools will receive much-needed lightning arrestors to protect refugee children from strikes which are regular in Kigoma Region during rainy season.
According to UNHCR, recent more than normal rains and thunderstorms led to fatal lightning incidents in the region, impacting hosting communities as well as refugees.
In just one month, lightning hit a school in the Nduta refugee camp and instantly killed five children and injured other 15. A nine-month old refugee baby had to undergo lifesaving treatment after being struck in a separate incident, while another refugee child was left with multiple burns last month.
“When the fundraising idea came up it was about us climbers highlighting the needs of the refugees in Tanzania figuratively from the highest point possible and translating the adventure and toil of the climb to mobilizing resources for those that UNHCR serves, especially children,” said Murithi M’nkubitu, one of the climbers.
M'nkubitu said despite the beautiful views of the mountain, members of the UNHCR team were constantly reminded of the reality of many refugee camps and the conditions they live in.
Damla Balaban, another member of the climbing team, said the expedition was crucial in motivating them throughout their journey.
“It was dark, cold and we were sleepless and hungry. The climb to the top was physically challenging, but I didn’t have any room to doubt if I was able to do it or not, I had to do it. There was no option for stopping because we were climbing to fundraise for refugee children to be safe,” Balaban said.
“Thinking about those refugee children who are affected by the lightning has motivated me to keep on going, keep on moving and never give up. The climb to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro was especially challenging for me as I went higher and higher; oxygen was decreasing and I had difficulty in breathing,” added Yajun Hu, another climber.
George Kuchio, UNHCR Deputy Representative for Protection in Tanzania said that climate change continues to impact both displaced populations and the communities that host them. In recent decades, Kigoma Region where the two main refugee camps are located– has grappled with severe weather events such as heat waves, floods and storms.
“Out of a total of 56 schools in the refugee camps in Tanzania, 46 do not have lightning arrestors. The fear of encountering further lightning incidents is a daunting reality for many refugees and asylum seekers as the Tanzania Meteorological Authority has forecasted more heavy rains and storms in the coming months. It costs just $1,700 to install one lightning arrestor in a school, which can save lives of around 1,500 refugee children,” he said.
“We need to move with speed on the installation of lightning arrestors to safeguard the lives of the people we serve. Having the lightning arrestors will mitigate the risks of death of refugees, especially children, which is an avoidable tragedy if we act now,” he said.
Tanzania currently hosts over 240,000 refugees, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than half of them being children.
As of 15 December 2023, UNHCR had received only 37 percent of the resources needed to assist and protect refugees in the country. UNHCR appeals to the international community to support the refugee response, especially fund raising for lightning arrestors in refugee schools.
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