OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
19 - 25 March 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

The Burundian Government and agencies mobilized against anti retroviral 
(ARV) shortages:  Under the chairmanship of the Burundi Head of State, 
partners involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS met in order to exchange 
on strategies to address the shortage of ARV medications in HIV/AIDS 
treatment centres and health facilities.  The meeting which was jointly 
organized by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Presidency 
in charge of HIV/AIDS issues enabled all partners to discuss and propose 
solutions to this issue.  It was decided that procedures to establish 
the needs of both users (HIV/AIDS patients) and medical officers, be 
reviewed taking into account the current national treatment protocol. 
Furthermore, ordering procedures were made smoother by reducing the 
duration from ten to four months after confirmation of the order.

Update on the implementation of agricultural season 2007-B:  The 
distribution of seeds and tools was completed in mid March as scheduled. 
Out of the 410,000 families initially targeted for direct distributions, 
350,000 households received seeds during the current agricultural B 
season under the coordination of FAO/Emergency and Rehabilitation 
Coordination Unit (FAO/ERCU), the gap originating in a very harsh 
shortage of bean seeds. The remaining 60,000 households will be assisted 
in the course of the next planting season. Out of the 350,000, FAO 
directly assisted 185,563 families and 7,800 families through seed fairs 
through its partner NGOs and organizations for the current season, which 
is the most important planting season of the year. Each family was given 
10kg of bean seeds and 10gr of vegetable seeds. 151,000 most vulnerable 
families also received a hoe as planned.

In February/March WFP provided food assistance through the Seeds 
Protection Ration campaign, carried out with FAO and implementing 
partners. WFP provided food assistance (15 day rations including 
cereals, pulses and salt) to 61, 000 households receiving seeds from 
FAO, with the dual objective of allowing beneficiaries to plant, not 
eat, the seeds while still having food for the day. WFP will strive to 
extend targeted food distributions to the most vulnerable communities, 
up to 1.5 million every month in April, May and June.

Repatriation: The number of Burundians returning to their home country 
continues to decrease. During the week under review, UNHCR reported only 
six persons who arrived from Tanzania through the entry point of Kobero 
in Muyinga, and three through the Bujumbura international airport. 
Since the beginning of 2007, 2,649 persons have returned to Burundi. 
In 2006, the situation of the returns was almost the same, with 2,303 
returnees during the first quarter. The case load of returns is expected 
to increase when the current school year ends and when crops are ready 
for harvest.  More than 150,000 Burundian refugees are still living in 
camps in western Tanzania, and approximately 200,000 Burundians who fled 
the country in 1972 still live in old settlements.

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day:  The day was commemorated in Burundi under 
the theme" Tuberculosis somewhere, tuberculosis everywhere".  Supported 
by WHO, the Ministry of Public Health organized commemorative activities 
in the Gihanga commune (Bubanza province).

In Burundi, tuberculosis is a public health concern.  Its prevalence is 
estimated at 343 cases per 100,000 persons.  As part of efforts to 
reinforce national capacity to fight against this illness WHO has added 
four new TB medications to the existing list.

Update on Burundians expelled from Tanzania:  Over the reporting week, a 
total of 55 Burundians were registered by the Government project for the 
reintegration of war-affected persons (PARESI) in the transit sites of 
Kinazi (Muyinga) and Munzenze (Cankuzo).  31 persons arrived through 
Kobero (Muyinga) and 24 through Mishiha (Cankuzo).  Thanks to the 
support of WFP and UNICEF, food and non food items are provided to 
expelled persons registered in both transit sites by operational 
partners including the Burundian Red Cross.  Meanwhile, with the 
financial support of UNHCR, transfer of expelled persons whose addresses 
are known to their communes of origin continues. Since January 2007, 
PARESI has registered 839 persons expelled from Tanzania.

Assistance to IDPs and other vulnerable groups: Despite improved access 
to land, displaced persons in the Musongati commune in Rutana province 
remain confronted with housing issues.  The situation is even worse for 
the Batwa minority community group which has no access to either plots 
or houses.  It should be noted that whilst the displaced persons can 
cultivate their land, they do not enjoy the fruits of their labour 
because crops are allegedly partly damaged or harvested by unknown 
individuals.

Security: Overall, the situation remains calm throughout the provinces 
of Bujumbura Rural, Bubanza and Cibitoke.  However, on March 18th, 
reported clashes between FNL combatants loyal to Jean Bosco Sindayigaya 
and National Defence Forces (FDN) in the Bukinayana commune in Cibitoke 
province resulted in the killing of three FNL combatants, three guns and 
three grenades were seized.  Cases of armed banditry attributed to FNL 
combatants were also reported in the Bubanza commune (Bubanza province). 
In Bujumbura Rural, armed robbery took place in several households in 
the Kanyosha commune of Bujumbura Rural province during the night of 
March 23rd.

Contact Group: The monthly meeting was held on March 23rd and was 
chaired by OCHA. The National Coordinator for the 
Reintegration/reinsertion project presented results of the survey on the 
output impact of reintegration activities undertaken in 10 communes of 
Gitega and Ruyigi provinces.

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