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Burundi

Burundi Remote Monitoring Update, February 2017

Attachments

Food insecurity to remain elevated, following succession of poor seasons and insecurity

KEY MESSAGES

 The majority of poor households in Bubanza, Cankuzo, Cibitoke, Kirundo, Makamba, Muyinga, and Ruyigi provinces are likely to be Stressed (IPC Phase 2) through September, resulting from below-average Season A production, following similarly poor Seasons B and C during 2016. There is the possibility that some households are still likely to be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) through the lean season, as food access has been constrained by a one-month delay in the harvest, above- average food prices, and reduced income from agricultural labor, but outcomes are likely to improve with the July harvest.

  • Maize and bean prices have surged well above the five-year average and are anticipated to remain atypically high through early May, attributed to late re-planting that has delayed the harvests by one month, compounded by limited cross-border trade. Following a slight dip in March, these factors are expected to keep prices at above-average levels through September, with a slight easing after the June harvest.

  • According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of February 20, more than 385,000 Burundians had sought refuge in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique, since April 2015. In addition, there are about 169,000 internally displaced people, resulting from both political instability and natural hazards, including flooding, who receive assistance that is facing funding shortfalls.