OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
2 - 8 April 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

World Health Day celebrated on April 7th: Commemorated under the world 
theme, "International health security: invest in health, build a safer 
future", in Burundi, the day was marked by ceremonies attended by: the 
Ministers of Public Health and of the Presidency in charge of the fight 
against HIV/AIDS, United Nations representatives including the BINUB, 
WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA and OCHA. All participants took part in a 
'Walk for Health' along the streets of Bujumbura.

Update on Burundians expelled from Tanzania:  During the reporting week, 
the Government project for the reintegration of war-affected persons 
(PARESI) registered a total of 275 persons (157 families) expelled from 
Tanzania: 100 in Kinazi (Muyinga) and 175 in Munzenze (Cankuzo). Since 
January 2007, PARESI has recorded 1,609 expelled persons (879 families) 
who arrived from Tanzania through the entry points of Kobero in the 
province of Muyinga and Mishiha in the province of Cankuzo. In addition 
to the continuous delivery of food and non food items, further to a 
memorandum of understanding signed between UNICEF and 
HealthNet-Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (HN-TPO Burundi), the 
latter will provide psycho-social assistance and mental health care to 
the expelled persons who are sheltered in Kinazi (Muyinga province) and 
Munzenze (Cankuzo) transit site.

Repatriation: During the reporting period, UNHCR registered 113 
returnees from Tanzania including four spontaneous returnees. In 2007, 
UNHCR has registered 2,802 Burundian returnees including 87 spontaneous 
returnees. Since the beginning of the facilitated repatriation operation 
in 2002, a total of 341,801 Burundians have returned to their home 
country.

Reintegration of vulnerable children: On April 7th, HN-TPO Burundi 
organized activities aimed at sensitization on the reintegration of 
vulnerable children including: war-affected children and those affected 
by various forms of violence and who suffer stigma from the society. 
Participants including officials from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, 
United Nations delegates and associations in charge of child welfare 
were informed on the existence of mental health problems affecting these 
children. UNICEF donated 1,050 notebooks and used the opportunity to 
distribute copies of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and some 
information books such as Un Monde digne des Enfants, and the Situation 
des Enfants dans le Monde 2007.

Congolese refugees trained in peaceful conflict resolution: The Search 
for Common Ground (SfCG) NGO in collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee 
Council (NRC) NGO have completed training activities for 93 Congolese 
refugees on the "Peaceful Resolution of Conflicts"; in the Gihinga and 
Gasorwe camps. The participants of whom 28 were women represented all 
the communities, religions and age groups in the camps. The themes 
identified by the refugees and SfCG trainers were developed into 
specific lessons accordingly. They focused on techniques of conflict 
resolution, as well as on the concept of rumor and rumor management. At 
the same time, with the collaboration of refugees, six actors from the 
Democratic Republic of Congo organized participatory theatre sessions on 
common conflict situations. The refugees were invited to participate in 
identifying possible alternatives to resolving the simulated conflicts.

Ongoing implementation of agricultural season 2007-B: The implementation 
of agricultural season 2007-B went on under the coordination of 
FAO/Emergency and Rehabilitation Coordination Unit (FAO/ERCU). Over the 
reporting week, in collaboration with partner national associations, 
FAO/ERCU completed the distribution of 95,000 fruit seedlings to farmers 
throughout the 17 provinces. Distributed seedlings include: oranges, 
mangoes, tomato trees and papayas.

As part of ongoing efforts to assist 8,000 targeted beneficiary families 
of seeds distributed throughout the agricultural season 2007-B in the 
Bugabira and Busoni communes (Kirundo province), during the reporting 
week, Food for the Hungry International (FHI/Burundi) distributed food 
aid comprised of 240 MT of maize, 100MT of beans and 16 MT of vegetable 
oil. These families had previously received planting seeds from CRS and 
FHI during the implementation of agricultural season 2007-B. This 
assistance will help secure crop harvests from season 2007-B by 
preventing beneficiaries from selling (their farms/crop fields). Two 
more distributions will be carried out during the first and third weeks 
of May. To this end, supported by the Canadian Food for the Hungry (CFH) 
and Canadian Food Grains Bank and (CFGB) FHI has purchased 720 MT of 
maize, 320 MT of beans and 48,000 liters of vegetable oil.

Update on food aid distribution: During the reporting week, WFP 
distributed 1,739 MT of food aid to 218,335 beneficiaries throughout its 
various programmes: Feeding centres, food for work/food for training, 
assistance to refugees and HIV/AIDS affected persons, targeted 
distribution, seed protection rations.

Security: On April 6th, a public transport vehicle was ambushed in 
Gitaza in the Mutambu commune (Bujumbura Rural province). No killing was 
reported but an unknown amount of money was stolen from passengers. 
Forced monetary contributions by the population to the Palipehutu-FNL 
movement were noted in most communes of the Makamba province. Cases of 
theft attributed to Palipehutu-FNL combatants were reported in Rumonge 
(Bururi province) on Lake Tanganyika. Recruitment of Palipehut-FNL 
members is reportedly being carried out openly in the Cibitoke province 
whilst rebellious teachings are reportedly taking place in the Muyinga 
province. Nevertheless, talks between the Burundian Government and 
Palipehutu-FNL on the implementation of the ceasefire agreement resumed 
during the reporting week.

Coordination: OCHA conducted a field mission in the provinces of 
Muyinga, Cankuzo and Gitega in order to monitor the situation of 
Burundians expelled from Tanzania. Overall, the situation is 
satisfactory. The mission visited Songore (Ngozi) temporary site where 
152 expelled persons without addresses are lodged, the transit sites of 
Kinazi (Muyinga province) and Munzenze (Cankuzo province) ? see updated 
figures above.

For more information: E-mail: ocha-burundi@un.org, Tel: 205000 Ext. 5558

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