Burundi: Humanitarian Snapshot (September 2018)

The decrease in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continues in September. The number of IDPs stands at 151,500, which represents a 19% decrease compared to May 2018. This decrease is mostly connected to the dry season. However, it is likely that the number of IDPs will increase during the rainy season that starts in October, as climatic hazards account for 74% of internal displacements in Burundi. UNHCR statistics also show a downward trend in the number of refugees since the beginning of the year, mainly due to the voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from Tanzania with more than 52,000 Burundians having voluntarily returned since September 2017. Nevertheless, there are still 384,000 Burundian refugees in the region. The number of food insecure people decreased by 35%, from 2.6 million in July 2017 to 1.7 million in April 2018, which is mainly related to an improvement in agricultural production during the 2018A season. The results of the SMART survey published last March indicates a 4.5% acute malnutrition rate at the national level, which is considered as a low prevalence according to the WHO standards. Finally, on 27 September, the National Security Council (CNS) announced the suspension of all INGO activities on 1 October for a period of three months. Consequently, this could hamper the provision of humanitarian assistance in the coming months.