OCHA Situation Report
Burundi
29 September - 5 October 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Activities and Updates

Humanitarian Reform/Clusters workshop: Earliest development

The workshop held on 24-25 September confirmed the interest of UN agencies
and others Humanitarian partners (several international NGOs) to formalize
the cluster arrangements, in particular regarding early recovery,
nutrition, and possibly logistics.

It stressed out the importance of not creating additional layers of
coordination but to integrate the humanitarian component into existing
development groups of the PRSP, particulary for Education, Health and Food
Security.

While no formal endorsement of cluster has been made during the workshop,
it was clearly recommended that:

- a country IASC (Comite Humanitaire) will meet shortly after the workshop
to endorse which clusters should be formally activated,

- a letter will be sent by the HC to the ERC detailing the agreed cluster
arrangements,

- OCHA and CNCA to brief institutions or organizations absent at the
workshop (in particular Ministries of Health, Education, Interior, Civil
Protection, Red Cross of Burundi),

- A revision of the interagency contingency planning under the co-lead of
Civil Protection, OCHA and UN agencies will take place early November with
RO-CEA support.

To support this reform in Burundi, Partnerships should be improved through
concrete lessons learned and National actors should increasingly 'own' the
coordination of emergency response . Also, Humanitarian issues should not
be systematically considered as 'emergency' only but should be integrated
into all key or sensitive activities. Emergency preparedness has to be an
integral part of any recovery or development program. There should be One
integrated team for early sustained effort recovery. OCHA presence is
required in 2009 with a similar setup as in 2008. Reinforcement of revised
coordination structures requires a sustained effort

Repatriation and reintegration of Burundian refugees

1. Statistics

During the reporting period, 2,044 returnees arrived in Burundi from
Tanzania. 408 entered through Ruyigi in one convoy, and 1,636 through
Makamba (1,014 are former 1972 refugees from Tanzania's Old Settlements,
and 622 from Mtabila camp). One returnee arrived spontaneously from the
Old Settlements.

Since the beginning of this year, a total of 79,396 Burundian refugees
have returned: 435 in January, 1,991 in February, 8,377 in March, 6,675 in
April, 5,272 in May, 19,635 in June, 17,508 in July, 9,642 in August,
8,439 in September and 1,422 so far in October. This figure includes the
return of 19,848 refugees from 1972, including 32 from villages in Kigoma
region.

2. Construction of temporary accommodation centers by UNHCR

The construction of temporary accommodation centers for returnees from the
1972 group is ongoing. Four centers at Bukemba and Giharo communes (Rutana
province) and two in Rumonge (Bururi province) are currently under
construction. Up to six more sites are currently being identified in the
southern provinces of Bururi, Makamba and Rutana. Each center will provide
temporary shelter for 42 families whose land has been occupied. The
temporary accommodation centers are built in major areas of origin of
former 1972 refugees, in order to allow them to follow up the resolution
of their land conflicts.

3. Shelter construction makes good progress

The construction of 13,200 individual houses in 2008 with UNHCR's shelter
kits is making good progress. By 30 September, the beneficiaries had
completed on average two thirds (67 %) of the construction works. 500 of
the shelter kits have been provided exclusively to former 1972 refugees.
Houses for the 1972 families are still in the early phase of construction,
due to the fact that beneficiaries were identified in the second half of
the year.

UNHCR's shelter programme supports vulnerable returnees as well as members
of other vulnerable groups (10% of beneficiaries), allowing them to
construct shelters on their own land. UNHCR works with four partners under
this project: COPED, GTZ, PARESI, and WOI.

Assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania

The Government project for the reintegration of waraffected persons
(PARESI) registered 202 Burundians (62 families) expelled from Tanzania
who arrived through the entry points of Gisuru / Ruyigi Province 4 persons
(3 families), Mishiha / Cankuzo Province 2 persons (2 families), Mabanda /
Makamba Province 87 persons (23 families) and Kobero / Muyinga Province 3
persons (3 families).

Update on food aid distribution

WFP distributed a total of 144 MT of different food commodities under its
various activities to 43,627 beneficiaries. A total of 40,730
beneficiaries were reached with 94 MT of mixed food commodities under
targeted feeding, while under the Returnees Programme, a total of 50 MT of
different food commodities was distributed to 2,897 beneficiaries.

The Food Security Monitoring System (FSMS) collect (countrywide) started
on 6 October. The final results will be available in November, adding
importantly to food security analysis.

In order to further improve the FSMS system, WFP had in mid 2007
undertaken a study to consider possibilities of integrating nutrition
indicators in the system. This integration became effective in April 2008.
The initial analysis of the data from the integrated system indicate a
correlation between nutrition and food security indicators and therefore
the need to maintain the new integrated system. The improved FSMS will
particularly be useful in informing trends, thus allowing for better
design if responses as necessary. Select indicators used in the system are
especially useful in measuring the effect and change in situation
associated to the soaring food prices, especially on the household
purchasing power.

In readiness for the phase of data collection, WFP Burundi (2-3 October)
organised a capacity building workshop for partners in charge of FSMS data
collection. The objective of the training was to share the results of the
first phase of improved FSMS (with nutrition Information integrated)
conducted in April and June 2008 to optimize its usefulness and
application in Burundi,

The JAM mission on Congolese refugees of 15 -19 September presented its
conclusions and recommendations on 2 October:

The Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) for Congolese Refugees took place from
the 15 - 19 September covered the three camps of Gihinga, Gasoorwe and
Musasa. In participation were representatives from the Government of
Burundi, Donors, UN Agencies and NGOs. WFP, led the Food Security Group
that look into food security and distribution procedures. Findings show
that a significant number among the refugees sell up to 10 % of their food
ration for condiments and select non food items. WFP distributes a full
monthly ration of 2146 kcal. As a recommendation of the mission
recommended regular distributions of non food -items and the promotion of
income generating activities. Also that supplementary ration is provided
for vulnerable groups including malnourished children, elderly,
chronically ill and child headed households which makes up about 10 % of
the refugee caseload.

Refugees currently receiving assistance by WFP in the Gasorwe and Musasa
camps amount to 13,728 persons. In the Gihinga camp 2,830 refugees receive
assistance.

Focus on Concern Worldwide Burundi

Concern Worldwide Burundi (CWB) is a Dublinbased NGO which has been
supporting communitybased development in Burundi since 1997, by empowering
those living in extreme poverty to make sustainable improvements in their
lives. Initially focusing on emergency response, CWB is now managing the
transition to development, working in Education and Health/Nutrition in
Cibitoke as well as Livelihood Security in Kirundo, whilst mainstreaming
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), HIV/AIDS, Gender and Equality in all its
programmes.

The Education Programme (2008?2011) focuses on significantly increasing
access to primary education in Cibitoke Province for 11,000 children of
school enrolment age who have either never been to school or dropped out.
To date, the project has already re-launched and strengthened 47 Parent-
Teacher Committees, and through a community validation process, it has
identified 2,400 extremely poor children to support in Buganda and Mabayi
communes. In collaboration with the Rural Education Bureau and the
Provincial Education Directorate, the capacity of 630 teachers has also
been built in the newly introduced disciplines of Kiswahili, English and
Civics.

The purpose of the Community Health Development Programme is to contribute
to a reduction in malaria and malnutrition mortality rates in Mugina
commune, for over 13,000 children under the age of five, as well as some
3,000 pregnant women. One of the many achievements of the project lies
with the 25 Positive Deviance Hearths, which, between January and August
2008 alone, welcomed 1,522 malnourished children under five for nutrition
sessions. Out of this number, 60.7% gained more than 400g and graduated,
whilst 28.4% gained 200-399g. CWB will carry forward the successes and
learning of this project in the launch of a USAIDfunded Child Survival
Programme in Mabayi Health District in January 2009.

Targeted at 6,760 direct beneficiaries in Bugabira and Busoni Communes,
the Kirundo Livelihoods Security project (2008-2012) aims to increase
extremely poor and marginalised households' access to services and
resources that can help them develop sustainable livelihood options.
Having already provided training on farming and livestock breeding
techniques and agricultural input to 1,050 farmers as well as support
material and service delivery training to 16 extension workers, the
project is also supporting the decentralisation process through the
elaboration of the Bugabira Commune Community Development Plan and
capacity building for 144 members of the Colline Development Committees
and 25 members of the Commune Development Council.

For more information on Concern Worldwide Burundi and its programmes,
please contact Peter Rugu, CWB Acting Country Director:
peter.rugu@concern.net or visit: www.concern.net

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