OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
10 - 16 September 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Update on repatriation: refugees

UNHCR registered 2,408 Burundian refugees who arrived from Tanzania 
through the entry points of Mabanda/Makamba province (1143), 
Gisuru/Ruyigi province (588), and Kobero/Muyinga province (664). The 
rate of returns remains high due to the 6 month food rations and the 
cash grant allocation. Since January 2007, a total of 22,801 returnees 
have been recorded. So far, 361,800 Burundians have returned to their 
home country under the UNHCR facilitated repatriation process which 
began in April 2002.

|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+---------|
| Province  | 10-16| Cumul | Cumul | Cumul | Cumul | Cumul | Cumul | Cumul  |
|           | Sept |  2007 |  2006 |  2005 |  2004 |  2003 |  2002 |2002-07|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Bubanza    |     9|     78|    332|    233|    282|    356|    211|  1,492|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Buja Mairie|    12|    136|    539|  1,328|  1,413|  2,053|  1,192|  6,661|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Buja Rural |     8|    239|    514|    389|    419|  1,707|    971|  4,239|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Bururi     |    95|   1177|  2,745|  1,092|  1,648|  5,268|  3,649| 15,579|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Cankuzo    |   120|   1030|  1,656|  1,599|  2,879|  8,361|  1,453| 16,978|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Cibitoke   |    10|     96|  1,115|    631|    348|    937|    601|  3,728|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Gitega     |    52|    575|  1,694|  1,803|  2,730|  2,952|  1,257| 11,011|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Karuzi     |   108|   1136|  3,945|  4,363|  5,925|  3,910|  1,882| 21,161|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Kayanza    |    19|    142|    748|    631|  1,004|    736|    356|  3,617|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Kirundo    |   137|   1822|  2,149|  8,545|  6,194|  4,147|  6,633| 29,490|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Makamba    |   506|   4433| 11,063| 16,550| 11,975| 19,611|  4,418| 68,050|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Muramvya   |    14|    166|    656|    613|    820|    949|    130|  3,334|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Muyinga    |   465|   5696|  6,217| 15,932| 12,676| 11,988| 20,152| 72,661|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Mwaro      |     0|      3|     72|     39|     54|     62|     11|    241|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Ngozi      |    35|    647|  1,577|  2,679|  2,737|  1,758|  1,838| 11,236|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Rutana     |   542|   2619|  3,487|  4,006|  7,850|  4,312|  2,065| 24,339|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Ruyigi     |   276|   2806|  6,359|  7,674| 31,370| 13,247|  6,438| 67,894|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Without    |     0|      0|     47|      1|      3|     12|     26|     89|
|addresses  |      |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|
|Total      | 2,408| 22,801| 44,915| 68,108| 90,327| 82,366| 53,283|361,800|
|-----------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------|

Source: UNHCR


Assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania

During the reporting period, the Government project for the 
reintegration of war-affected persons (PARESI) registered 721 persons 
(431 families) who arrived from Tanzania through the entry point of 
Kobero/Muyinga province (319 persons/198 families) and through 
Mishiha/Cankuzo province (402 persons/233 families). Since January 2007, 
PARESI has recorded 8,248 expelled persons (4,058 families).

Partners involved in food security implement the 2008-A agricultural 
season.

The implementation of the 2008-A agricultural season has already started 
and will target vulnerable families including the elderly, orphans, 
disabled persons, households severely affected by conflict, natural 
disasters and climate hazards or crop diseases. Unless assisted, these 
categories will not be able to take advantage of this agricultural 
season. The joint crop evaluation mission carried out by the Ministry of 
Agriculture and Livestock, FAO, WFP, OCHA and UNICEF which was completed 
last June concluded that 201,800 households (12% of the population) were 
in need of assistance for the implementation of the 2008-A agricultural 
season.

In addition to the 122,600 families who will be assisted by 
FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Unit (ERCU), Catholic 
Relief Services and the GTZ food security project will respectively 
assist 70,700 and 8,500 families. FAO assistance will be conducted 
through direct distribution and seed fairs. Each beneficiary of the 
direct seed distribution will receive 12 kg of beans, 10 g of vegetable 
seeds and 1 hoe, whilst each beneficiary of the seed fairs will receive 
a voucher worth 8,000 Francs Bu. The implementation of the 2008-A 
agricultural season started mid September and will end mid October. To 
date, the identification of beneficiaries has been completed and the 
public validation of lists is being finalized. The dispatch of 
agricultural inputs is 80% completed and distribution is under way in 
the provinces of Cankuzo, Cibitoke, and Bubanza whilst the seed fairs 
have started in Giharo/Rutana and Ruyigi Provinces. On the whole, 
FAO/ERCU in collaboration with its partners (national and international 
NGOs) and the provincial department of agriculture and livestock will 
distribute a total 1,366 MT of bean seeds, 1,226 kg of vegetable seeds 
and 122,600 hoes.

WFP distributes seed protection rations

In support of the implementation of the 2008-A agricultural season, WFP 
has started the distribution of Seed Protection Rations (SPR) to the 
100,000 identified households in areas which were affected by food 
insecurity throughout the country. This food assistance aims to prevent 
the most vulnerable persons from consuming the seeds provided by 
FAO/ERCU and other partners involved in the implementation of the 2008-A 
agricultural season. Over the reporting week, WFP assisted 215,480 
beneficiaries with 1,376 MT of food aid out of which 862 MT were 
comprised of SPR. The distribution activity is expected to end by mid 
October.

Ongoing efforts to support the reintegration of displaced persons and 
returnees

GTZ/APRS continues the construction of 2,500 houses for the identified 
war-affected families in the communes of Bukirasazi, Buraza, Gishubi, 
Nyarusange and Ryansoro/Gitega Province. Furthermore, GTZ/APRS will 
provide seeds and tools for the 2008-A agricultural season. Each of the 
600 targeted families will receive 20 kg of beans and maize or potatoes, 
10 g of vegetable seeds, 10 kg of chemical fertilizers, 1 goat and 2 
hoes. The beneficiaries are comprised of returnees, displaced persons, 
demobilized persons and the vulnerable Batwa community.

Latest development

While waiting for the setting up of a new refugee camp to shelter the 
increasing number of Congolese seeking refuge in Burundi, UNHCR has 
completed the expansion of the transit camp of Musasa/Ngozi Province. 
This has enabled the resumption of transfer activities with the transfer 
of 500 Congolese from Bujumbura Mairie to Musasa on September 19.

For more information:
  E-mail: ocha-burundi@un.org
  Tel: +257 22 205000 Ext. 5542

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