HIGHLIGHTS
Displacement of population in Bubanza and Bujumbura Rural: over the last week, fighting between national defence forces (FDN) and FNL rebels were reported in the communes of Mpanda and Rugazi (Bubanza Province), Mubimbi and Mutimbuzi (Bujumbura Rural) causing temporary displacement of the population. No humanitarian assistance has been envisaged up to now: the number of displaced persons cannot be established since the displaced are scattered in families. Access to their properties during the day when there is fighting is possible. However, if the fighting continues, the IDPs situation may deteriorate as they left behind almost all their belongings including non food items that have reportedly been looted. Access to health facilities has not been hampered so far. Harvests have been average in this area affected by the cassava mosaic. However, a continuing conflict situation may severely undermine coping mechanisms of the local communities during the coming dry season.
ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES
Education: the Italian NGO AVSI (Association des Volontaires pour le Service International) started its education programme in Kayanza Province three months ago. The programme supports the education of vulnerable children including street and destitute children as well as the rehabilitation of school and health infrastructures in the communes of Muruta, Kabarore and Matongo.
Health:
- Support to improve data collection
process for EPI programme in Burundi: WHO Regional Office has provided
technical support to the National Immunization Programme department to
improve the quality of data collection of EPI (expanded immunization programme)
activities at the central, provincial and community levels. This will allow
training of the health staff in better data collection techniques in order
to have a more concrete picture of immunization coverage throughout the
country.
- Meningitis vaccination campaign in northern provinces of Ngozi, Kayanza and Kirundo: in view to minimise the meningitis epidemic in the North of Burundi and considering that from June the transmission of this infection is very high, the government of Burundi through the Ministry of Health supported by WHO and health partners has launched a two-week immunization campaign in the remaining communes not yet vaccinated in Ngozi, Kayanza, Kirundo. All the provinces at risk as notified during the meningitis epidemics observed in October 2004 in the region will therefore be completely covered. The current vaccination campaign has targeted a total of 463,763 persons in the three provinces: Ngozi: 167,030 persons (Tangara and Ruhororo communes); Kirundo: 156,480 persons (Kirundo and Bwambarangwe communes); Kayanza: 140,253 persons (Butaganzwa and Matongo communes).
Food aid distribution: last week, WFP distributed 885 Mt of food to 73,921 beneficiaries nationwide.
Refugee returns: as of 10 June, UNHCR reports 13,093 facilitated and 865 spontaneous returnees. Total: 13,958 returnees.
Food security: over the reporting week, the FAO Emergency Coordination Unit (ECU), the Ministry of Agriculture, WFP, UNICEF and OCHA jointly started the Crop and Food Supply Assessment for the agricultural season 2005-B. Evaluation has already been completed in eight out of seventeen provinces.
FAO/ECU has supplied agricultural inputs to the vulnerable within the framework of seeds distribution covering the agricultural season 2005-C. A comprehensive kit of seeds comprised of potatoes, beans, maize and soya bean has been distributed with priority to the population who had been affected by hailstorm and floods in Kayanza and Ngozi as well as associations of vulnerable. Agricultural tools, fertilizers were also delivered. Supplied quantities may be increased to better reach the needy groups upon request by implementing partners.
Update on OCHA Information Management Unit achievements:
- The "Who does What Where"
data base has been updated by organization, sector and commune. Validation
of the data is being processed. Maps will be produced and uploaded on the
website after the validation step.
- Maps: requests of thematic maps are increasing. This is mainly due to the fact NGOs gradually perceive GIS activity as a service for coordination and evaluation of programmes. Produced thematic maps involve the following sectors: health, nutrition, sexual violence, education and population movements (returnees, IDPs...) Basic maps (administrative boundaries) can be downloaded from OCHA website (www.ochaburundi.org) or made available upon request (topographic maps, 1/50,000.)
SECURITY AND ACCESS
Bujumbura Rural, Bujumbura Town: FNL rebel movement allegedly launched a shell attack on southern neighbourhoods of the capital Bujumbura on 6 June. On June 8, heavy gunfire was heard in northern neighbourhoods. According to military sources, this was an FNL incursion attempt in Kinama Zone (Bujumbura Town) and Nyambuye area (Isale Commune). A further alleged FNL shell/grenade attack has been reported on a military position in Nyambuye (10 June). Several cases of armed banditry have also been reported in the capital.
Bubanza: due to the fighting between FDN and FNL rebels in the neighbourhoods of Butanuka area (Mpanda Commune), OCHA could not conduct the evaluation mission of the humanitarian situation that was scheduled on 9 June. Household looting was reported.
COORDINATION
Contact Group meeting: held on 8 June. Relief NGO MSF France announced the end of its programme in Burundi to the humanitarian community in Burundi. MSF France had previously informed the Ministry of Health of the closure of its programme and presented hand over strategy. TPO, Transcultural and Psycho-social Organization, announced the merging of its programmes with Health Net International.
For Information
Adélaide Habonimana,
Assistant Information Officer
PH: (257) 910 196
E-mail: habonimanaa@un.org
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.