OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
15 - 21 May 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

Torrential rains: Throughout the reporting week, torrential rainstorms 
continued to cause damages nationwide. The Rusizi plain in the Imbo 
region was severely affected as houses were either damaged or washed 
away. Crop fields were devastated and roads rendered impassable 
including the main connection between Bujumbura and Cibitoke province. 
In the Rusizi plain water could not escape and continued to erode houses 
and roads. As part of the response plan to assist affected families in 
the communes of Gihanga (Bubanza) Rugombo and Buganda (Cibitoke), CRS 
conducted needs assessment missions and liaised closely with local 
authorities. Lists were compiled and presented for validation by the end 
of the reporting week. The cemetery at Mpanda was also flooded which 
gave rise to concerns about health risks. WHO conducted a mission on 18 
May to assess hygiene and sanitation conditions. Supported by ONUB 
military and civilian engineers and ICRC via the Burundian Red Cross, 
the Government of Burundi assisted the families to re-bury their lost 
ones.  Due to the localized destruction of crops in some provinces, 
there is concern over the impact on the coming crop harvest which is 
expected in June 2006. WFP undertook a round of rapid assessments in 
flood affected areas to determine the scope of immediate needs. A more 
comprehensive nationwide assessment was scheduled for the week starting 
22 May.

Rwandan Asylum Seeker returns: On 15 May, 286 Rwandan asylum seekers 
including 141 volunteers and only 3 whose asylum claim was rejected were 
transported back to Rwanda. A cross border meeting between UNHCR and GTZ 
agreed to work towards two convoys per week of 500 persons each. The 
transfer of 4,381 Rwandan asylum seekers from Rwisuri to Musasa was 
completed. The site was immediately dismantled. In order to improve 
hygiene sheltering conditions UNHCR and NRC conducted a feasibility 
study for the extension of hangars. Within its protection project, IRC 
started identifying unaccompanied children present in the sites of 
Musasa and Songore (Ngozi province).

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Food aid update: Over the reporting week, WFP distributed 2,686 MT of 
food aid to 314,299 beneficiaries throughout its various feeding 
programmes, including targeted feeding, food assistance to refugees and 
returnees, social centres, HIV/AIDS, Food for Work / Food for Training, 
mother-child-health, school feeding as well as supplementary and 
therapeutic feeding. In order to assist victims of the rains (see above) 
in Mpanda commune, WFP teams concluded the validation of lists of 
beneficiaries.

Non food items: As part of its effort to assist the most vulnerable 
groups, CRS distributed plastic sheeting to 359 families from the Batwa 
community in Ijenda (Mugongomanga commune, Bujumbura Rural) with the 
support of the local association UNIPROBA (Unissons-nous pour la 
Promotion des Batwa). UNIPROBA runs programmes for the protection and 
assistance of Batwa communities in Mwaro.

Food Security: The FAO/Emergency Coordination Unit (ECU) concluded the 
rapid evaluation on the progress made in the multiplication of cassava 
mosaic resistant plants. Results are encouraging and will help in 
providing enough seeds 600 ha in the coming agricultural season 2007A. 
In order to take a stock of information on existing capacities, 
knowledge and strategies in addressing the diseases and crop pest issue, 
FAO/ECU with support from the European Union will hold a regional 
colloquium gathering experts from Burundi, DRC, Congo-Brazzaville, the 
Central African Republic, Rwanda, the University of Gembloux 
(Luxembourg) and the International Institute on Tropical Agriculture 
(IITA). One expected outcome is the harmonization of the protocol to 
achieve an integrated regional approach.

Furthermore, there were reports on worm pests destroying sweet potatoes 
in Bugabira commune (Kirundo) and wheat in Bukeye commune (Muramvya). 
WFP has undertaken close follow up and assistance will be provided as 
necessary.

Repatriation: Over the reporting week, UNHCR facilitated the return of 
381 Burundian refugees through the different entry points. No 
spontaneous return was registered. The 26 families who arrived through 
the entry point of Mabanda (Makamba) were transferred to their communes 
of origin. As of 21 May 2006, UNHCR had repatriated 3,792 returnees 
including 3,637 facilitated and 155 spontaneous.

IDPs: As part of follow up activities undertaken by OCHA in IDP site, 
the recent field mission revealed that the majority of displaced persons 
from Kije site in Makamba had returned to their homes. Only 61 families 
(340 persons) of whom 4 are returnees and another 4 from the Batwa 
community remain in the site. There is growing concern among partners 
involved in IDP protection that only the most vulnerable persons will be 
left behind in the sites.

SGBV: An increase in cases of sexual and gender-based violence was 
reported in Nyanza-Lac (Makamba), and Rumonge (Bururi). Victims include 
mostly very young and teenage girls. Follow up of these cases is carried 
out by SFCG through its "Victims of Torture" project partners the 
Burundi Human Rights associations Iteka and APRODH and Trauma Healing 
and Reconciliation Services (THARS). The partners flagged up the urgent 
need to sensitize community leaders, local authorities and pupils 
towards the provision of legal assistance to affected persons. The 
setting up of a medical structure in Rumonge to deal with such cases 
would also help improve assistance to victims.

PROTECTION, ACCESS, SECURITY AND COORDINATION

Access: Further to torrential rain storms which affected several areas 
nationwide, some roads were rendered impassable. Such is the case for 
Cibitoke, Bubanza and Bujumbura-Rural where bridges collapsed and entire 
road sections caved in.

Human rights violations: Local authorities reported FNL rebels in 
Kabezi, Isale, Kanyosha, Muhuta and Nyabiraba communes (Bujumbura 
Rural). As a consequence, residents of Bujumbura Rural are forced to 
contribute in food or money towards the rebel movement.

Security: On the night of 15 to 16 May, a man and his wife were killed 
in their house at Nyamitanga in Bubanza in a grenade explosion; 
perpetrators remain unidentified. Arms and grenades were found in 
Nyabiraba (Bujumbura Rural) and Mutanga neighbourhood in Bujumbura 
Mairie. On 17 May, clashes were reported in Musigati (Bubanza) between 
National Defense forces (FDN) and FNL rebels as the latter attempted to 
leave Kibira forest allegedly in order to loot crops from neighbouring 
fields. On the same day, an FDN patrol captured one FNL rebel in 
Bukinanyana (Cibitoke). In Buvyuko Zone (Bubanza commune) a woman 
accused of sorcery was beaten to death. Police arrested three alleged 
perpetrators.

Coordination: The local version of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee 
(IASC) met on 19 May in order to discuss a potential allocation of 2.1m 
USD to Consolidated Appeal (CAP) projects in Burundi. Appealing agencies 
in Burundi have become eligible to this through a special allocation 
from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for under-funded CAPs. 
The CERF is managed by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator 
and bases its decisions on the recommendations made by the local IASC.

Over the reporting week, OCHA fielded humanitarian missions to 
Mutimbuzi, Kabezi, Muhuta (Bujumbura Rural), and Gihanga (Bubanza) to 
assess the access, security situation and its impact on humanitarian 
situation and the damage caused by the recent inundations.

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

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