OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
16 - 22 October 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Food security: According to the food security surveillance and early
warning system SAP-SAA, the preparation of the agricultural season
2007-A took place in a context of erratic rains, poor access to seeds
and other agricultural inputs. Food shortages were also reported in
September causing immediate price increases on the market. In order to
face the situation, households have resorted to coping mechanisms such
as reducing the number of meals and offering manual labour (see graph
below). Since the beginning of September 2006 approximately 50% of the
households have reduced the number of daily meals whilst some 40% sell
their labour. However, it is foreseeable that the situation will be
difficult for the households due to a lack of one of the main staples,
i.e. cassava which is affected by the mosaic disease.

Update on assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania: Over the
reporting week the Government's project for repatriation and
reintegration (PARESI), in collaboration with Norwegian Refugee Council
(NRC) and the Burundian Red Cross, registered 443 Burundians expelled
from Tanzania at the transit centre of Kinazi (Muyinga province). All of
the new arrivals were assisted and then transferred to their collines of
origin. However the situation is more and more difficult to handle
further to an increasing number of fraudulent cases. PARESI has tasked
local authorities with improving the control system.

Update on cholera outbreak: A rising number of cholera cases are being
reported in communes of Bujumbura Mairie and Bujumbura Rural. In the
latter province, the medical supervisor confirmed that Mutambu and
Kabezi communes were affected. As of 22 October, the medical authorities
reported a total of 175 suspected cases (128 in Bujumbura Mairie; 20 in
Mutambu and 27 in Kabezi) but no deaths have occurred so far. The
Ministry of Health, WHO and humanitarian partners jointly provided
assistance to reinforce the response capacities in terms of medical
equipment and clean water to affected areas.

In an effort to reinforce early warning and preparedness against
cholera, OCHA supported an initiative in Rumonge (Bururi) which set up
communal committees for early warning, response (through referral
system) and hygiene sensitisation. Rumonge is usually affected by
cholera, but with recent improvements in the water and sanitation system
with the support of ICRC and the preparedness measures, it is hoped that
the situation can be improved vis-a-vis 2005.

Refugee returns: Over the reporting period, UNHCR reported the return of
1,932 Burundian refugees including 1,710 from Tanzania, 190 from DRC and
32 spontaneous returns. Since the beginning of 2006, a total of 32,164
refugees have returned to Burundi.

Rwandan Asylum Seekers: During the week under review, UNHCR organized a
convoy for 70 persons to be repatriated to Rwanda. Since the beginning
of the repatriation operation in April, 14,128 Rwandans have returned
home.

Food aid distribution: During the week under review, WFP distributed a
total of 613 Mt of food aid to 142,495 beneficiaries through its
different programmes including the last 20,880 recipients of seed
protection rations.

World Food Day, 16 October: The Burundian President and partners active
in the food security sector attended ceremonies to mark World Food Day.
The day was celebrated in Gitega province under the theme "Investing in
agriculture for a sustainable food security". To mark the occasion, two
model associations and the two best farmers from each of the 11 communes
in Gitega were given prizes comprised of agricultural inputs and tools,
seeds, and bicycles.

COORDINATION, PROTECTION

Coordination: On 18 October, the monthly meeting for the food security
and nutrition thematic group was held. Participants discussed the
national nutritional trends in general and nutritional situation for
Muyinga and Kirundo provinces. UNICEF reported a general decrease in the
admissions in supplementary and therapeutic feeding services (SFS and
TFS) except for Kayanza and Kirundo.

Consolidated Appeal (CAP): The country draft of the Consolidated Appeal
2007 for Burundi was finalized, endorsed by the Humanitarian Coordinator
and submitted to OCHA Geneva. The official version will be published as
part of the global CAP launch on 30 November by the UN Secretary
General.

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