Attachments
Highlights
- UNICEF completed the rehabilitation of the cholera treatment center at Buterere Hospital in the urban area of Buterere (Ntahangwa commune, Bujumbura province), creating a dedicated unit to improve care, reduce infection transmission risks among patients, healthcare workers, and the community. Adequate medical care was also ensured to 76 cholera cases in Bujumbura and Buterere.
- A total of 2,452 students enrolled in floods-affected schools in Gatumba and Kinyinya communes could continue their learning in 31 temporary learning spaces set up by UNICEF.
- UNICEF provided life-saving nutritional assistance to 736 severely malnourished children under five in floods-affected areas.
- In Rugombo (Cibitoke province), UNICEF supported more than 6,000 people, including 3,180 children, to access safe water and improve their hygiene and sanitation through the distribution of hygiene kits and the construction of household latrines. Additionally, 1,500 adolescent girls and women were provided with reusable sanitary pads, which helped to improve their menstrual hygiene.
- UNICEF scaled up its protection interventions in IDP sites and surrounding communities, reaching 3,878 people, including 3,466 children, with psychosocial support and mental health services. This represents an increase of 130% in comparison to September 2024.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Burundi continues to bear the brunt of climate-change-related natural disasters, ranking among the least prepared countries to respond to climate-induced shocks. Since the start of the rainy season in September 2023, which typically lasts until the end of May, the El Niño phenomenon has intensified the effects of human-induced climate change across the country. The provinces which run the length of Lake Tanganyika hit hardest, while other regions cyclically affected by climate change have also suffered extensive damage. In Cibitoke and Bubanza provinces, located in the northwest bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, heavy rains devastated crops, homes, schools, and infrastructure. Similarly, Kirundo, a province in the north bordering Rwanda and known for alternating floods and droughts, experienced unusually heavy flooding this season.
As a result of El Niño, 47 people have died, with some fatalities linked to encounters with wildlife in flood-prone areas. Additionally, 78 people have been reported as injured. More than 3,984 houses and 220 classrooms have been recorded as destroyed, along with significant damage to roads and hydraulic infrastructure. The impact has been most severe since early 2024, affecting over 298,222 people and forcing more than 47,915 people to flee their homes due to flooding and landslides. Most of IDPs were resettled in dedicated sites and in host communities. In October 2024, to ease overcrowding at Mubimbi IDP sites, which is hindering the timely delivery of humanitarian aid, the government has identified a new relocation site in Gateri (Cibitoke province) where IDPs will be resettled.
The 2024 National Nutrition Survey, using the Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transition (SMART) methodology, confirmed that malnutrition remains a critical public health issue in Burundi, with 53% of children under five suffering from stunting, 8% wasted, and 59% anemic. Provinces affected by El Niño show the highest prevalence of wasting, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality among children. Malnutrition also severely affects children’s cognitive development, learning potential, and long-term productivity. While only 29% of children aged 6–23 months have access to minimum dietary diversity, and just 20% receive an acceptable diet, these figures represent a slight improvement from the 2022 SMART survey results, which reported dietary diversity at 2% and minimum acceptable diets at 13%. The government is currently reviewing the survey results and developing plans for intervention, with efforts underway to mobilize domestic and external resources.
Looking ahead, La Niña conditions expected for the last quarter of 2024 will likely bring below-average rainfall, reducing agricultural activities, cash crop yields, and livestock production. The resulting decline in labor opportunities will lower incomes, particularly among the poorest 40% of households, reducing their purchasing power and access to food. Semi-arid regions in the north, east, and west will be especially vulnerable to this drought-like scenario. In addition, limited access to safe water will increase the risk of epidemics and worsen the situation for an already vulnerable population.
While the response continues for those affected by floods and landslides, preparations are underway to address the expected impact of the next rainy season. There is growing concern that the transition from El Niño to La Niña will worsen the situation, bringing drought conditions that could further strain water supplies and drive future epidemics in an already fragile environment.
Meanwhile, multiple epidemics continue to affect the country alongside the displacement caused by floods. Following the declaration of the Mpox epidemic UNICEF has been supporting the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (EoC) to coordinate key response efforts, including community-based surveillance case investigation, case management, and supply chain management for critical medical inputs.
As of October 31, 2024, 1,607 Mpox cases were confirmed in 43 health districts together with 3,452 suspected cases. Although Bujumbura City alone accounted for 59,9% of confirmed infections due to its high population density and chronic water shortages, the toll of new reported cases kept rising specifically in health districts of Gitega and Kayanza, This led UNICEF, in coordination with the MoH, to set up two isolation centers within Gitega and Kayanza Hospitals in addition to the already supported isolation center at Clinique Prince Louis Rwagasore in Bujumbura. Around 1,200 cases were admitted in the three Mpox centers since the declaration of the epidemic.
In addition to Mpox, other health challenges persist. From January to October 2024, 127,005 cases of malaria cases were reported, representing a 33,6% increase compared to the same period last year. Fourteen (14) cholera cases were reported in October, bringing the cumulative number of cases since January 2024 to 722.