OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
11 - 17 December 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Activities and Updates

Mother and Child Health Week: Organized by the Ministry of Public Health 
with the support of UNICEF and WHO, the 2006 Mother and Child Health 
week was launched on 12 December at GATETE in Rumonge commune, Bururi 
province. Ceremonies were attended by Governmental officials namely the 
Second Vice-President and the Minister of Public Health, Representatives 
of UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. UNICEF contributed with vaccines, medicines, 
Vitamin A, iron and folic-acid, organizational fees, fuel, printed 
materials and social mobilization activities, while WHO supported the 
media briefing and the organization of the launch ceremony. It is 
expected that over 150,000 children aged 0 to 11 months will be 
immunized: 1,000,000 children aged 6 to 59 months will receive Vitamin A 
supplementation; 3,000,000 children between 1 to 14 years will be 
de-wormed and 200,000 pregnant women to receive iron and folic-acid 
supplementation. This year's Mother and Child Health week follows the 
Measles Immunization Campaign of June 2006, which reached 3,000,000 
children.  Activities which were run from 12 to 16 December aimed at 
reinforcing the results of the immunization campaign, providing 
micro-nutrients supplementation and promoting school health.

Food Security: The multiplication of cassava type resistant to the 
mosaic disease is going on well throughout the country. In collaboration 
with provincial departments of agriculture and livestock and NGOs 
involved in food security sector, FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and 
Coordination Unit (ERCU) undertook the distribution of resistant cassava 
cuttings to farmers' associations nationwide. Started a month ago, the 
distribution programme which was initially intended for 600 ha will 
finally cover 800 ha in agricultural seasons 2007 A and B.  Over the 
reporting week, 675 ha were covered. The current programme will enable 
the distribution of resistant cassava types during the implementation of 
agricultural season 2008-A. The shortage/lack of cassava severely 
affects households as it constitutes one of the major staples.

Update on expelled Burundians: Over the reporting period, the 
Governmental project for reintegration of war-affected persons (PARESI) 
registered 338 persons in the transit site of Kinazi (Muyinga). On 13 
December, OCHA and PARESI in Ruyigi fielded a follow-up mission in 
Mishiha (Cankuzo) to assess the situation of expelled persons. The 
authorities reported arrival of five expelled persons on a daily basis. 
Persons originating from Cankuzo are immediately transferred to their 
collines of origin whilst those coming from remote areas remain on the 
place in the open. In order to address this issue, local authorities 
called on humanitarian actors for the construction of a transit site at 
Muzenze in Mishiha (Cankuzo) from where expelled Burundians originating 
from other provinces than Cankuzo will be transferred. OCHA convened a 
coordination meeting with actors on the ground on 18 December to discuss 
who will do what by when.

Meanwhile, the 13 expelled Burundian families (around 50 persons) who 
have no reference and who gathered around communal premises in Ngozi 
were transferred to Songore which becomes a temporary site. Since May, 
PARESI has recorded 5,190 persons expelled from Tanzania.

Repatriation: Over the reporting period UNHCR registered 644 Burundian 
refugee returns. As reported last week, the trend of returns remains low 
since many refugees prefer to spend Christmas and New Year feast in the 
camps with their families. In 2006, 43,826 have returned to Burundi.

Coordination, Protection and Security

Bubanza, Cibitoke, Bujumbura Rural and Bujumbura Mairie: The security 
situation is satisfactory despite reported signs of malaise subsequent 
to poor relations between FNL combatants and the army in some areas of 
Bujumbura Rural bordering Muramvya. On 11 Dec. FNL combatants allegedly 
ambushed six vehicles and looted passengers' belongings on the national 
road No 1 in Mubimbi commune (Bujumbura Rural). Cases of armed banditry 
were also reported in Masama area in the urban commune of Kanyosha where 
they held up passers-by and stole their mobile phones on 17 December. 
During the night of 14 to 15 December, one person was shot dead by 
unidentified persons in Bubanza commune (Bubanza). Another unidentified 
group stole in a household at Muzazi in Rugazi commune (Bubanza). In 
Gatebe colline (Mubimbi commune), alleged FNL combatants stole livestock 
in Gatebe colline in Mubimbi (Bujumbura Rural) on 14 Dec. Moreover, 5 
youths blamed of possessing arms, grenades and a military uniform were 
arrested by police.

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