OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
12 - 18 June 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Highlights

The Day of the African Child - 16 June. UNICEF, in close collaboration
with officials and with the support from sister UN agencies organized
celebrations of the Day of the African Child on 17 June. The
organisation rallied numerous youth groups and some 3,000 children
gathered at the Bujumbura main stadium to make their voices heard in
speeches and songs. On its part, the national NGO FVS-AMADE (Famille
pour Vaincre le SIDA/Association Amis des Enfants) conducted a series of
activities aimed at advocating on behalf of orphans and the most
vulnerable children. The NGO had just concluded an evaluation of
activities under its project on community assistance and protection for
HIV/AIDS orphans.

Activities and Updates

Food Security: The collection of data for the joint evaluation of the
2006B agricultural season was completed over the reporting week. It
emerged that there remains a challenge regarding food security in the
North and East where sorghum yields dropped and rice fields were damaged
by recent torrential rains and floods. However, the Imbo region
(North-Western plain) which was the most affected area is likely to
record an increase in rice yields by 20%. Whilst market prices are
expected to remain high, admissions to nutritional centres on the other
hand continued to decrease. This is in line with seasonal trends
expected at this time of the year.

The final report of the evaluation will be issued end of June. On basis
of the collected information, the FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation
Coordination Unit (ERCU) started to dispatch seeds in preparation of the
agricultural season 2006C. Assistance will be comprised of maize, soya
bean, peanuts, sweet potato cuttings, sunflower, beans, vegetable seeds
and agricultural tools. The target number of beneficiaries for the
coming season is approximately 250,000 families including vulnerable
households and victims of the April/May inundations.

Repatriation, reintegration: Over the reporting week a total of 433
refugees returned to Burundi from Tanzania. As of 18 June, UNHCR has
recorded 5,178 returnees of whom 5,017 were facilitated returns and 161
spontaneous.

Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Antonio
Guterres, visited Burundi from 15 to 17 June as part of a tour in the
region. One key objective of his mission was to formally announce the
shift from facilitation to promotion of voluntary repatriation to
Burundi, which will lead to a series of promotional activities including
refugee visits to Burundi and an information campaign mounted by UNHCR
to keep refugees up to date on developments in country. He was
accompanied by the European Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid, Mr Louis Michel.

Repatriation of Rwandan Asylum Seeker: Over the reporting week, two
convoys were organized with a total of 1937 (800 and 1137) repatriated
Rwandan Asylum Seekers on 13 and 16 June. According to UNHCR, since the
beginning of repatriation operation on 12 April, a total of 7,238
Rwandans returned to their home country. The vast majority (7,017)
returned voluntarily and not as a result of a rejected Refugee Status
Determination case.

|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|Statistics|      |         |          |     |
|    of    |      |         |          |     |
|Voluntary |      |         |          |     |
| Returns  |      |         |          |     |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|  Convoy  | Date |Voluntary| Rejected |Total|
|  Number  |      | Returns |  Cases   |     |
|          |      |         |  (RSD)   |     |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    1     |12-Apr|   57    |    0     | 57  |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    2     |18-Apr|   101   |    0     | 101 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    3     |03-May|   110   |    0     | 110 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    4     |08-May|   273   |    96    | 369 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    5     |10-May|   566   |    4     | 570 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    6     |15-May|   283   |    3     | 286 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    7     |22-May|   293   |    23    | 316 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    8     |29-May|   420   |    0     | 420 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    9     |31-May|   486   |    0     | 486 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    10    |02-Jun|   498   |    0     | 498 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    11    |06-Jun|  1075   |    0     |1075 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    12    |09-Jun|   918   |    0     | 918 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    13    |13-Jun|   800   |    0     | 800 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|    14    |16-Jun|  1137   |    95    |1232 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|
|          |      |  7017   |   221    |7238 |
|----------+------+---------+----------+-----|


Torrential rains, assistance to affected persons: Further to the
evaluation of damages concluded by humanitarian actors in Gihanga
(Bubanza), since 23 May, CRS has distributed non food items to 488
households. Additional assistance is envisaged through targeted
distributions by WFP. During the week under review, CRS identified 236
households eligible for assistance which were affected by these
torrential rains in Kayogoro (Makamba).

SECURITY AND COORDINATION

Security, Bujumbura Rural, Bujumbura MairieBubanza and Cibitoke: On 10
June, FNL rebels attacked a National Defense Force patrol in Isale
commune (Bujumbura Rural). On the same day, FNL rebels launched shells
on Musaga neighbourhood (Bujumbura-Mairie). One civilian was killed and
13 others severely wounded. Four houses, two vehicles and an electric
line were damaged. In an alleged FNL attack in Gihanga (Bubanza) during
the night of 14 to 15 June 70 households were looted. Livestock,
bicycles, poultry, money and household items were stolen and the
attackers obliged the population to help them transport the stolen goods
to the Rukoko forest. These activities took place against the backdrop
of continuing negotiations between the Government of Burundi and the FNL
which started on 29 May in Dar-es-Salaam.

As part of efforts to improve security at the border between Rwanda and
Burundi, provincial authorities from both countries met in Rugombo
(Cibitoke) on 11 June to discuss cross border security issues.

Coordination: OCHA fielded two coordination missions in Cankuzo and
Ruyigi provinces with the objective to evaluate the progress made in the
area of reintegration. OCHA met Solidarites and UNDP PRRSLP (Programme
de Reintegration, Rehabilitation des Sinistres et de Lutte contre la
Pauvrete) in Cankuzo on 14 June and on 15 June, OCHA organized a meeting
gathering the provincial authorities and actors in the Ruyigi - UNDP
PRRSLP, UNHCR, ACF, GTZ, SOPRAD and IRC. Participants exchanged on
achievements and constraints with regard to sectors of habitat,
socio-economic infrastructures, education, health, water and sanitation
and cross cutting sectors: HIV/AIDS and Gender.

For more information:
  Adalaide Habonimana
    E-mail: habonimanaa@un.org
    Tel: (257) 910 196

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