OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
6 - 12 June 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

Displacement of population in Bubanza and Bujumbura Rural: over the last
week, fighting between national defence forces (FDN) and FNL rebels were
reported in the communes of Mpanda and Rugazi (Bubanza Province),
Mubimbi and Mutimbuzi (Bujumbura Rural) causing temporary displacement
of the population. No humanitarian assistance has been envisaged up to
now: the number of displaced persons cannot be established since the
displaced are scattered in families. Access to their properties during
the day when there is fighting is possible. However, if the fighting
continues, the IDPs situation may deteriorate as they left behind almost
all their belongings including non food items that have reportedly been
looted. Access to health facilities has not been hampered so far.
Harvests have been average in this area affected by the cassava mosaic.
However, a continuing conflict situation may severely undermine coping
mechanisms of the local communities during the coming dry season.

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Education: the Italian NGO AVSI (Association des Volontaires pour le
Service International) started its education programme in Kayanza
Province three months ago. The programme supports the education of
vulnerable children including street and destitute children as well as
the rehabilitation of school and health infrastructures in the communes
of Muruta, Kabarore and Matongo.

Health:

    Support to improve data collection process for EPI programme in
    Burundi:
    WHO Regional Office has provided technical support to the National
    Immunization Programme department to improve the quality of data
    collection of EPI (expanded immunization programme) activities at the
    central, provincial and community levels. This will allow training of
    the health staff in better data collection techniques in order to
    have a more concrete picture of immunization coverage throughout the
    country.

    Meningitis vaccination campaign in northern provinces of Ngozi,
Kayanza
    and Kirundo: in view to minimise the meningitis epidemic in the North
    of Burundi and considering that from June the transmission of this
    infection is very high, the government of Burundi through the
    Ministry of Health supported by WHO and health partners has launched
    a two-week immunization campaign in the remaining communes not yet
    vaccinated in Ngozi, Kayanza, Kirundo. All the provinces at risk as
    notified during the meningitis epidemics observed in October 2004 in
    the region will therefore be completely covered. The current
    vaccination campaign has targeted a total of 463,763 persons in the
    three provinces: Ngozi:  167,030 persons (Tangara and Ruhororo
    communes); Kirundo: 156,480 persons (Kirundo and Bwambarangwe
    communes); Kayanza: 140,253 persons (Butaganzwa and Matongo
    communes).


Food aid distribution: last week, WFP distributed 885 Mt of food to
73,921 beneficiaries nationwide.

Refugee returns: as of 10 June, UNHCR reports 13,093 facilitated and 865
spontaneous returnees. Total: 13,958 returnees.

Food security: over the reporting week, the FAO Emergency Coordination
Unit (ECU), the Ministry of Agriculture, WFP, UNICEF and OCHA jointly
started the Crop and Food Supply Assessment for the agricultural season
2005-B. Evaluation has already been completed in eight out of seventeen
provinces.

FAO/ECU has supplied agricultural inputs to the vulnerable within the
framework of seeds distribution covering the agricultural season 2005-C.
A comprehensive kit of seeds comprised of potatoes, beans, maize and
soya bean has been distributed with priority to the population who had
been affected by hailstorm and floods in Kayanza and Ngozi as well as
associations of vulnerable. Agricultural tools, fertilizers were also
delivered. Supplied quantities may be increased to better reach the
needy groups upon request by implementing partners.

Update on OCHA Information Management Unit achievements:

    The "Who does What Where" data base has been updated by organization,
    sector and commune. Validation of the data is being processed. Maps
    will be produced and uploaded on the website after the validation
    step.

    Maps: requests of thematic maps are increasing. This is mainly due to
    the fact NGOs gradually perceive GIS activity as a service for
    coordination and evaluation of programmes. Produced thematic maps
    involve the following sectors: health, nutrition, sexual violence,
    education and population movements (returnees, IDPs?) Basic maps
    (administrative boundaries) can be downloaded from OCHA website
    (www.ochaburundi.org) or made available upon request (topographic
    maps, 1/50,000.)


SECURITY AND ACCESS

Bujumbura Rural, Bujumbura Town: FNL rebel movement allegedly launched a
shell attack on southern neighbourhoods of the capital Bujumbura on 6
June. On June 8, heavy gunfire was heard in northern neighbourhoods.
According to military sources, this was an FNL incursion attempt in
Kinama Zone (Bujumbura Town) and Nyambuye area (Isale Commune). A
further alleged FNL shell/grenade attack has been reported on a military
position in Nyambuye (10 June). Several cases of armed banditry have
also been reported in the capital.

Bubanza: due to the fighting between FDN and FNL rebels in the
neighbourhoods of Butanuka area (Mpanda Commune), OCHA could not conduct
the evaluation mission of the humanitarian situation that was scheduled
on 9 June. Household looting was reported.

COORDINATION

Contact Group meeting: held on 8 June. Relief NGO MSF France announced
the end of its programme in Burundi to the humanitarian community in
Burundi. MSF France had previously informed the Ministry of Health of
the closure of its programme and presented hand over strategy. TPO,
Transcultural and Psycho-social Organization, announced the merging of
its programmes with Health Net International.

For Information

Adelaide Habonimana,
Assistant Information Officer
PH: (257) 910 196
E-mail: habonimanaa@un.org

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