Burundi: Humanitarian Snapshot (September 2020)

COVID-19 | Since 31 March 2020, a total of 477 cases of COVID-19, including 1 death, have been confirmed.

Bujumbura Mairie and Rural, together, account for 85 per cent of the total number of cases. To date, 33,987 tests have been completed, and 15 of the 18 provinces reported positive cases including 304 since the start of the mass screening campaign on 6 July. Health emergencies | Since January, the health services reported 1,132 cases of measles mainly in the province of Bujumbura Mairie, the Cishemere transit center and 2 refugee camps in Ruyigi and Cankuzo provinces.

The number decreased from 87 cases in August to 10 cases in September. Approximately 4,500 cases of an unidentified disease with ulcerous wounds symptoms has been reported in the the provinces of Muyinga and Muramvya, with more than 3,100 cases since June 2020. Internaly Displaced Persons (IDPs) | The latest DTM (Aug 2020) identified 136,610 IDPs in Burundi as of June 2020, compared to 106,000 in August 2019.

Natural disasters account for 83 per cent of the displacement. Around 28,000 and 29,000 IDPs are in the provinces of Bujumbura Mairie and Rural - largely due to flooding caused by torrential rains from January to May 2020 and the Rusizi river overflowing in Gatumba. Rapatriation | From February to August 2019, 12,430 Burundians were assisted to voluntary return to Burundi, compared to 19,653 in the same period in 2019. The repatriation was suspended between May and June due to the elections. As of 31 August, UNHCR recorded 328,727 Burundian refugees in neighboring countries. Refugees | To date, 73,614 refugees and asylum seekers live in 5 refugee camps and in urban areas.