OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
25 September - 1 October 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Update on the distribution of seeds, tools and seeds protection rations: 
FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Unit, WFP and NGOs 
continued to provide assistance to vulnerable families nationwide either 
through direct distributions or seed voucher campaigns. Over the 
reporting week, CRS in collaboration with its local partner SOPRAD, 
organized seed voucher campaigns in Gitega, Cankuzo and Ruyigi 
provinces. On the whole, a total of 18,300 beneficiaries received seeds 
worth 146,400,000 Burundian Francs (approx. 140,000 USD). This 
distribution campaign which will reach 15% of the population who are 
considered the most vulnerable will continue until the 10th of October.

Meanwhile, alongside the seeds and tools distribution campaign, 
FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Unit (ERCU) started 
delivering seedlings to vulnerable families through partner 
organizations. This distribution falls under the programme for the 
rehabilitation of farmland and the improvement of the nutritional status 
of the vulnerable. By the end of this distribution campaign, FAO/ERCU 
will have assisted 12,500 families with six different types of avocado 
and mango seedlings.

Psycho-social assistance to war-affected children: As part of activities 
aimed at evaluating its Cluster Based Intervention (CBI) project, Health 
Net-TPO organized a series of field visits in order to lay the ground 
for data collection. To this end, meetings were held with provincial 
education authorities in Bubanza during the week under review. On 29 
September, HN-TPO social worker teams in said provinces met to discuss 
the progress achieved with regard to community training in psycho-social 
assistance. This project which focuses on waraffected children started 
in early 2005 and covers the provinces of Bujumbura Rural, Bujumbura 
Mairie and Bubanza.

Refugee returns: Over the week under review, UNHCR reported the return 
of 1,534 Burundian refugees who came back from Tanzania (1,399) and DRC 
(135). Due to persisting problems in the repatriation via Ruyigi after 
the collapse of a bridge, convoys are redirected via Makamba. A convoy 
bringing home another 553 returnees who were supposed to arrive in 
Ruyigi was delayed as a result. Since the beginning of the year, some 
25,901 refugees have returned to Burundi.

Update on assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania: During the 
reporting week, PARESI (the governmental reintegration project for 
conflict affected persons) registered a total of 159 Burundians who had 
been expelled from Tanzania. They are registered and assisted in Muyinga 
(Kinazi transit centre). CRS, in collaboration with the Burundi Red 
Cross society, provided non-food items both to newly arrived families in 
Kinazi transit centre as well as to those who had been transferred to 
Kirundo. For those families who had already been transferred to their 
collines of origin in Ngozi without receiving any assistance, CRS plans 
a distribution before 15 October. This is at the same time the date of 
closure of the CRS NFI distribution programme. It was furthermore 
reported that a number of expelled Burundians had arrived via Ruyigi but 
confirmation as well as possible statistics were pending at the time of 
writing.

Rwandan Asylum Seekers: During the reporting week, 38 Rwandan Asylum 
Seekers were repatriated to their home country with a convoy organized 
by UNHCR. As of 1 October, the number of Rwandan asylum seekers 
remaining at Musasa site stands at 4,944.

SGVB: Within its VOT (victims of torture) project, Health Net-TPO held a 
two-day training session (28-29 Sept) for community leaders in the 
communes of Bukemba, Giharo and Rutana in Rutana province. The training 
aimed at capacity building for the prevention of and care for victims of 
sexual violence and torture.

Suspected cholera cases: WHO reported having monitored 34 suspected 
cholera cases in the communes of Bujumbura-Mairie between 4 August and 
25 September. None of the cases was confirmed but due to seasonal 
circumstances, it is expected that within the next weeks the first cases 
of cholera will occur.

COORDINATION

Coordination: OCHA organized missions to the communes of Muhuta, Kabezi, 
Mutimbuzi (Bujumbura Rural), Mpanda and Gihanga (Bubanza) with the 
objective to follow-up on the distribution activities preparing for the 
agricultural season 2006-A. Moreover, a series of meetings of key 
thematic groups were held in Bujumbura to elaborate the criteria by 
sector for the CHAP/CAP 2007 for Burundi.

Security, access: Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement between 
the Government of Burundi and FNL movement, no major security incident 
has been reported in the provinces of Bujumbura Rural and Bubanza where 
the movement was reported to be most active. However, in Bujumbura 
Rural, residents report that some FNL combatants continue to collect 
food assistance from families.

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

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