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Crisis Impact Overview Key priorities
Heavy rains, winds, landslides and consequent flooding occurred in the west of Burundi from April 13-20 in Cibitoke, Bubanza, Rumonge, Bujumbura Mairie, and Bujumbura Rural provinces (OCHA 21/04/2020), following on from heavy rains in mid-March; no deaths were reported. In Rumonge and Bubanza provinces, between 700-800 people were affected by the storms and landslides, with up to 700 of those displaced (IOM 22/04/2020) (OCHA 21/04/2020). In Bujumbura city in Bujumbura Mairie, riverine flooding displaced 27,000 people (ECHO 22/04/2020).
In Bujumbura Rural, the Ruzizi River burst its banks, leading to the flooding of up to 7,600 homes (IOM 22/04/2020).
In Mutimbuzi commune, in Bujumbura Rural province, the river flooded six districts of Gatumba city including Kinyinya 1&2, Muyange 2, Mushasha 1&2, and Gaharawe, displacing up to 40,000 people according to available estimates (IOM 22/04/2020). Current responses have relocated 100 displaced households to temporary relocation sites, and aim to relocate 100 households per week. Over 400 hectares of crop were lost in the flooding, straining local food options (OCHA 21/04/2020). The government had previously closed the border with the DRC and restricted movement with Rwanda and Tanzania to contain COVID-19 (OCHA 21/04/2020) potentially restricting food availability and trading livelihoods. Additionally, stagnant and potentially contaminated flood water poses a health risk to populations. Since late 2019, rainfall has been abnormally high, resulting in recurrent flooding (FEWSNET 11/2019) (NWS CPC NOAA last accessed 28/04/2020). Flooding has already led to the internal displacement ofthousands of people since the beginning of 2020; flooding may compound pre-existing poverty and/or public health issues.