OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
23 - 30 September 2007


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

Raising awareness against avian flu in the Great Lakes

The FAO in collaboration with the Government of Burundi through the
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock organized a two-day (25-26 Sept)
workshop on avian flu. The workshop, which was attended by 30
journalists from media operating in Burundi, aimed at launching the
project for the prevention/fight against a potential avian flu epidemic
in the Great Lakes Region countries - Burundi, Democratic Republic of
Congo and Rwanda. It is expected that the media people will contribute
the sensitization on the epidemic and the dissemination of information
on the disease and its socio-economic consequences. To this end, focal
points for the different media were identified and will help disseminate
information on how to prevent and/or repel the epidemic. To date, cases
of avian flu have been reported in 42 African countries. It should be
noted that the avian flu threat is important for Burundi as the latter
is on the route for migrating birds which transmit it. Furthermore, the
plain of the Rusizi river/Bujumbura and northern lakes, especially Lake
Rwihinda/Kirundo Province, are migrating sites for birds from Central
Europe and Eastern and Central Asia. Supported by the Belgium Kingdom,
the FAO started implementing the foresaid project in 2007.

Update on repatriation and refugees

Over the reporting week, UNHCR registered a total of 1,767 the majority
of whom arrived from Tanzania - 569 through Mabanda/Makamba Province,
685 through Kobero/Muyinga province and 509 through Gisuru/Ruyigi. UNHCR
also registered 1 Burundian refugee came from Burkina Faso and 3
spontaneous returnees. Since January 2007, a total of 26,019 returnees
including 8,415 for September have been recorded. So far, 365,355
Burundians have returned to their home country under the UNHCR
facilitated repatriation process, which began in April 2002.

Meanwhile, the transfer of Congolese refugees from Bujumbura Mairie
continues. Last week, UNHCR transferred 550 to Musasa/Ngozi Province,
bringing the total refugees in the transit camp to approximately 7,100.

Assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania

The Government project for the reintegration of war-affected persons
(PARESI) registered 92 persons (34 families) who arrived from Tanzania
through the entry point of Kobero/Muyinga province (52 persons/22
families) and through Mishiha/Cankuzo province (40 persons/12 families).
Since January 2007, PARESI has recorded 8,477 expelled persons (4,152
families).

In preparation of the expected expulsion of 4,505 illegal migrants from
Kibondo (Tanzania), administration authorities and humanitarian partners
involved in the provision of assistance to expelled persons - UNICEF,
Burundian Red Cross, OCHA, UNHCR, NRC and Solidarites met on September
25 in Ruyigi. Activities undertaken include the dispatching of stocks of
non food items and food, the construction of temporary latrines and the
installation of a bladder. Participants recommended that the Burundian
immigration service (PAFE) undertake close verification of the official
document delivered by Tanzanian authorities.

Socio-economic reintegration of vulnerable families in Makamba Province

Under its food security programme, Intermon Oxfam (IO) in collaboration
with partner national NGO - New Family Development and Ntusigarinyuma
(Kirundi name meaning: Don't stay behind) continues activities aimed at
providing sustainable assistance to vulnerable families essentially
comprised of returnees and displaced persons in the communes of Kayogoro
and Nyanza-Lac/Makamba Province. The main areas of activities are
agriculture, livestock and environment. In order to ensure a good crop
yield out of a small land property as a result of population pressure,
IO has introduced the agro-sylvo integration technique which consists in
undertaking agricultural activities and protecting the environment at
the same time. IO has distributed cows (72) and goats (1,582) as
incentives to 600 farmer families who have adhered to this technique.
Furthermore, IO has appointed a supervisor and has opened two veterinary
drugstores which are managed by a committee of beneficiaries. This will
improve access to the medical treatment of the cows and goats. In
collaboration with FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Unit
(ERCU), IO has availed cuttings of cassava resistant to the mosaic
disease.

Education: more classrooms needed to school the maximum of children

In efforts to enable the Burundian educational system enroll more pupils
returning from exile, Refugee Education Trust (RET) NGO has started the
construction of additional classrooms in Muyinga Province, which is a
province of high number of returns. This will increase the capacity of
schools like the communal secondary school of Mugano which could
register 240 pupils for the current school year (2007-2008) against 176
last year. RET also distributed a total of 602 books, 1 book for two to
pupils at Mugano.

Protection: NGO mediates land disputes

The Legal Aid Clinic Project of the African Centre for the Constructive
Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) successfully mediated eight disputes in
the provinces of Bururi, Makamba, Ruyigi and Gitega. Six out of eight
cases concerned land. In addition, ACCORD conducted two conflict
management trainings in the communes of Makamba and Butaganzwa for 50
community leaders. These initiatives assisted with the reintegration of
returnees into communities, with the promotion of reconciliation, as
well as with the protection of returnees.

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

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