Burundi - OCHA: 30-Apr-06
OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
24 - 30 April 2006
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
HIGHLIGHTS
United Nations cross-border meeting: The delegations of the Rwandan and
Burundian United Nations Country Teams (UNCT) held a cross-border
meeting on 27 April. The delegations were limited to humanitarian
agencies and led by the Deputy Special Representative (DSRSG) in
Burundi, Mr Fall, and the Resident Coordinator (RC) a.i. for Rwanda, Ms
Bintou Keita. The objective of the encounter which was held in Huye
(formerly Butare) in Southern Rwanda was to share information on
cross-border population movements and the food security situation and to
develop a joint action plan.
ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES
Rwandan Asylum Seekers: The first Rwandans who had obtained refugee
status were transferred from the sites in Northern Burundi to Giharo
site in Rutana province. A total of 18 families (or 52 persons) were
settled there by GTZ and AHA, implementing partners of UNHCR.
Over the reporting period 115 new arrivals were registered in Musasa and
43 in Rwizuri. Of the 420 cases, equalling about 1,250 persons, who
received a negative decision on their refugee status only 345 entered
into the appeals process. 39 left spontaneously for Rwanda without
requesting facilitation by UNHCR.
For voluntary returns WFP pledged to make available the 1 month food
ration immediately upon request of repatriation by an asylum seeker
rather than making candidates wait for the monthly distribution which
could cause repatriation spikes around the distribution dates.
Reintegration assistance to returning Burundian asylum seekers: On 26
April the Minister of National Solidarity, Human Rights and Gender, Ms
Francoise Ngendahayo, personally delivered food assistance and clothing
to about 11,000 persons in Gisuru commune (Ruyigi province) who had
returned from Tanzania at the beginning of April. They had left for
Tanzania due to food shortage where they were refused a long term stay
as they did not qualify for refugee status.
Returnees and Reintegration Assistance: UNHCR repatriated 81 Burundian
refugees over the reporting week. 52 came from Tanzania and 29 from DRC.
The total number of returnees in 2006 stands at 2,883. Moreover, UNHCR
handed over to Burundian authorities some 7,100 houses and 14 primary
schools it had constructed in the provinces of Ruyigi, Gitega et Cankuzo
as well as 5 health centres in Ruyigi as part of its repatriation and
reintegration programme. The official ceremony took place on 25 April,
when the Minister of National Solidarity, Human Rights and Gender and
the UNHCR Deputy Representative opened the primary school of Kabuyenge
(Gisuru commune, Ruyigi province) which had been built in an area where
both returning refugees and returning IDPs would benefit from it.
Congolese Refugees: After UNHCR had suspended activities at Gasorwe camp
on 21 April when protests at the camp turned violent, the organisation
resumed activities on 28 April. Burundian police made a clear commitment
to staff safety and the refugee committee leaders were replaced after
they had resorted to threats.
Food Security: Over the reporting period WFP and its partners
distributed 1,364 MT of food to 174,605 beneficiaries. Furthermore, WFP
staff continued to collect indicators of household food security in the
provinces of Rutana, Makamba, Karusi, Kayanza and Muyinga. It confirmed
previous findings in other provinces about the prevalence of negative
coping mechanisms at household level such as migration, loans, sale of
household assets including livestock, reduction of meals and theft as
well as continued drop outs from primary schools. Its monitors also
assessed the seeds protection rations (SPR) distributed in February and
March in the provinces of Ngozi, Kirundo, Cibitoke, Rutana and Gitega
showing an overwhelmingly positive impact on freeing up persons for paid
work and improving the daily calorie intake.
FAO took stock of distributions conducted by the organisation and its
partners of agricultural tools and products throughout the planting
season 2006B. FAO assisted 277,508 vulnerable households. A breakdown of
the assistance can be found in the table below:
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Province| Number | Total |Assisted| Households | | | | | |RPS WFP|
| | of |number of| HH |assisted per| | | | | | |
| |communes| HH | |organization| | | | | | |
| |assisted| | | | | | | | | |
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
| | | | | FAO | CRS |PRASAB | GTZ |Tearfund|Christian| |
| | | | | | | | | | Aid | |
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Bubanza | 5| 72,215| 24,225| 5,896|12,000| 6,349| 0| 0| 0| 15,296|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Buj - | 11| 103,166| 31,800| 31,800| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 4,800|
|Rural | | | | | | | | | | |
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Bururi | 9| 101,639| 14,300| 11,564| 0| 2,736| 0| 0| 0| 0|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Cankuzo | 5| 41,546| 23,602| 9,260|10,000| 4,342| 0| 0| 0| 15,000|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Cibitoke| 6| 99,093| 13,400| 8,400| 5,000| 0| 0| 0| 0| 7,000|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Gitega | 10| 143,979| 34,400| 19,400|15,000| 0| 0| 0| 0| 17,300|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Karusi | 7| 86,823| 23,400| 21,400| 0| 0| 0| 0| 2,000| 3,800|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Kayanza | 9| 107,570| 23,500| 23,500| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 4,000|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Kirundo | 7| 123,143| 64,377| 22,443|20,000| 7,134| 0| 10,800| 4,000| 37,800|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Makamba | 6| 97,720| 23,589| 17,588| 0| 6,001| 0| 0| 0| 4,500|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Muramvya| 5| 56,680| 9,100| 6,389| 0| 2,711| 0| 0| 0| 3,500|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Muyinga | 7| 121,340| 44,458| 27,959|10,000| 4,499| 0| 0| 2,000| 28,500|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Mwaro | 6| 52,323| 9,700| 9,489| 0| 211| 0| 0| 0| 0|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Ngozi | 9| 147,143| 40,606| 34,120| 0| 6,486| 0| 0| 0| 9,500|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Rutana | 6| 60,088| 35,125| 4,100|10,000| 6,025|15,000| 0| 0| 7,566|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Ruyigi | 7| 75,492| 33,700| 18,700|13,000| 0| 0| 0| 2,000| 19,700|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Buj - | 12| 79,875| 5,500| 5,500| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0| 0|
|Mairie | | | | | | | | | | |
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
|Total | 127|1.568.835| 454,782| 277,508|95,000| 46,494|15,000| 10,800| 10,000|178,262|
|--------+--------+---------+--------+------------+------+-------+------+--------+---------+-------|
Torrential Rains: On 26 April several communes in Cibitoke province were
hit by devastating torrential rains. After a rapid survey conducted by
local authorities in Cibitoke OCHA learned of several hundred houses
which were destroyed as well as damages incurred on a total of 12
primary schools. The communes which were affected by the rainstorm were
Murwi, Mugina, Buganda and Mabayi. Victims were reported to have found
shelter with neighbours and a joint assessment mission was scheduled for
3 May.
In Mpinga-Kayove commune (Rutana province), the harvests in Mpinga zone
were practically wiped out by heavy rains. This will render the
population significantly more vulnerable from June and July when the
harvests in Burundi are due.
COORDINATION, ACCESS, PROTECTION AND SECURITY
Humanitarian access: OCHA conducted humanitarian missions to Bujumbura
Rural province and found an unchanged situation regarding security and
humanitarian access. It also conducted a mission to Ngozi to meet
partners on issues regarding nutrition, food security and population
movements.
Coordination: The UNCT mission (see above) served to reinforce and
mainstream coordination and communication. Follow up meetings were
agreed to and a cross-border coordination and information plan
(including governmental and provincial authorities) was agreed to.
For more information:
Adelaide Haboniman
E-mail: habonimanaa@un.org, Tel: (257) 910 196
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International web: www.cidi.org
Disaster Information listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -