UNICEF Humanitarian Action: Burundi Donor Update 1 Mar 2001

1. EMERGENCY OVERVIEW AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
In Burundi, over 1.2 million people (of a population of 6 million) have been internally or externally displaced. Children and women are the worst affected, constituting approximately half of the 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Since 1993, vaccination rates have plummeted, infant and under-five mortality rates have dramatically increased and over 25,000 children have been orphaned by war and another 160,000 have been orphaned by AIDS. Although the Burundi government responded positively to international pressure and dismantle the regroupment camps in Bujumbura Rural, the newly dispersed population received little resettlement support and now presents new humanitarian challenges. As a result, in December 2000, a high-level inter-agency group undertook a mission to Burundi to assess the situation of the internally displaced and the capacity of UN agencies, other humanitarian actors and the Government to respond to their needs. One of the major recommendations of this mission was to increase the protection of IDPs in Burundi. To-date, UNICEF has received less than 10 per cent of the funds requested for child protection activities.

The humanitarian needs in Burundi are enormous. The current malaria epidemic, high malnutrition rates in the north and the threat of another measles outbreak place additional demands on the humanitarian community and government. These needs are in addition to an already precarious situation resulting from armed conflict and its consequent displacement, poverty and inadequate health and education systems. In response to the current humanitarian needs, the UN agencies in Burundi are releasing an updated Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2001. UNICEF is increasing its request from US$ 10,200,072 to US$ 15,036,542 in order to cover the urgently needed malaria, malnutrition and measles interventions.

Burundi has faced a severe drought in the northern provinces for the past three years. This has recently reached crisis levels, resulting in alarming malnutrition rates and high food insecurity. In January-August 2000, the overall malnutrition rate varied between 6 and 23 per cent, and the severe malnutrition rate varied between 0.6 and 15 per cent. As of January 2001, over 85,000 malnourished children were enrolled in supplementary feeding centres and 4,500 in therapeutic feeding centres. Indicating a further deterioration of nutritional status, malaria reached epidemic levels in November, food reserves have been exhausted and the expected harvest has been reduced considerably by floods, lack of seed and land exhaustion.

Insecurity is one of the greatest challenges to the humanitarian response in Burundi. The death of the UNICEF Representative and WFP staff member in October 1999, and the subsequent evacuation of international staff greatly inhibited the UN’s ability to provide assistance in Burundi. In April 2000, UN reduced the security level from Phase 4 to Phase 3 in 11 of 17 provinces, but humanitarian access to beneficiaries continues to be limited by ambushes on routes connecting Bujumbura to the hinterland and by continued raiding. For example, last October two Italian priests were killed and 20 people were massacred in December.

The Paris Donor Conference of 12 December was a success for the Arusha peace process. The international donor community pledged US$ 440 million to support the implement of the Arusha Agreement and the accompanying humanitarian and development interventions. The 28 February, six months after the original signing of the accord, was the deadline for a decision on who will lead the transition. This issue continues to be discussed today. On 25 February fighting broke out in the neighborhoods surrounding Bujumbura, resulting in some 39,000 new IDPs. UNICEF is working with partners to support the needs of the displaced, particularly in the area of water and environmental sanitation. As recommended by the inter-agency mission on the internally displaced in December 2000, it is essential that the humanitarian community provide assistance and protection for the displaced in Burundi.

2. UNICEF’S ACTIVITIES, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND CONSTRAINTS

The overall goal of UNICEF’s programmme for 2001 as outlined in the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal (CAP) is to: ensure access to basic healthcare and adequate nutrition, water and sanitation, and basic education, especially for disaster-stricken populations; combat HIV/AIDS and malaria; and strengthen protection measures for children with special needs.

Due to the emergency needs in the areas of malaria, nutrition and measles immunization, as well as a renewed emphasis on IDPs, UNICEF is requesting additional US$ 4,900,000 in the revised CAP, expected to be launched later this month.

Health

The incidence of malaria increased alarmingly across Burundi in the latter half of 2000, with more than 3 million cases reported. UNICEF was able to respond to this outbreak with a pledge of US$ 463,124 from Belgium. However, considering the severity of the epidemic, UNICEF is appealing for an additional US$ 1.6 million in the updated CAP. In 2000, UNICEF carried out two emergency measles campaigns in 14 of the worst affected provinces and will immunize children in the four remaining vulnerable provinces in early 2001, as a result of an ECHO donation of US$ 440,239. Visits of Regional Advisors for health and nutrition are supporting the Burundi office in responding to the increasing needs.

Nutrition

UNICEF is the lead agency for emergency malnutrition activities. WFP supplies supplementary food for 85,000 malnourished children in 200 supplementary feeding centres through UNICEF, which consolidates all requirements on a monthly basis and co-ordinates all activities to ensure that nutritional protocols are followed. UNICEF supplies all therapeutic products for severely malnourished children in 28 therapeutic feeding centres, which was made possible in 2000 by OFDA. To guarantee smooth and rapid response to nutritional emergencies, UNICEF aims to ensure that no break in the supply pipeline occurs. However, erratic funding in 2000 for both UNICEF and WFP coupled with a dramatic increase in malnutrition rates led to a shortfall in capacity to respond, and thus gave rise to an additional US$ 2,893,317 funding needs. For effective UNICEF response, WFP must also receive sufficient funding. UNICEF is recruiting expert consultants to assist with additional coordination needs of the nutrition programme.

Water and Sanitation

Only 12 per cent of the displaced population had access to potable water in 2000, and only 47 per cent to latrines. Some 56 per cent of children and 51 per cent of women have been diagnosed with diseases that could be controlled with improved water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF targets its water and sanitation programme on IDPs, returnees and children in conflict affected areas. The importance of this assistance must be underscored in light of the newly displaced population.

UNICEF’s programme for 2001 ranges from the rehabilitation/construction of existing water and sanitation structures to the provision of emergency non-food items for crisis-affected populations. Capacity building of the population to maintain the water/sanitation facilities is key to the success of the programme. UNICEF has thus far received 43 per cent of the Appeal requirements for water and sanitation, but needs an additional US$ 1,187,151.

Education

Since 1993, net primary school enrolment has fallen a low of 52 per cent. Approximately 550,000 school-aged children do not go to school. Functioning schools are overcrowded with as many as 70 students per classroom. There is a serious shortage of teacher. UNICEF activities in 2000 included: construction or repair of 500 temporary classrooms and provision of 7,500 desks, 500 blackboards and basic school materials for 70,000 children; printing of teacher manuals and training for 600 under-qualified teachers; reinforcement of peace education techniques, and sponsorship of provincial level evaluation and planning activities. Education is UNICEF’s major tool for building a sustainable and peaceful future for children in an emergency environment. In 2001, UNICEF aims to provide primary schooling for at least 70 per cent of Burundi’s children through construction of schools and training of teacher.

Children in Need of Special Protection Measures

In 2000 UNICEF provided assistance to 25,000 children in need of special protection. One hundred and fifty members of the police force were sensitized on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Fifty magistrates were trained in international instruments to protect minors in detention. Challenges for the future include finding ways to bring the spirit of the CRC to life in Burundi through more direct intervention and advocacy.

As the numbers of vulnerable children in Burundi in need of special protection continue to grow, UNICEF is facing extreme difficulty in providing assistance in this area, with only 8 per cent of the US$ 2 million request funded. In addition to the 400,000 displaced and refugee children, there are an estimated 25,000 war orphans and 7,000 unaccompanied minors. Numbers of AIDS orphans have escalated to 160,000, increasing the child-headed households. UNICEF protection activities include the promotion of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), psychosocial support, tracing and reunification of unaccompanied minors, the provision of material assistance to vulnerable children and protection of vulnerable IDPs in camps.

HIV/AIDS Prevention

The incidence of HIV infection in Burundi is increasing at an alarming rate. The Ministry of Public Health estimates that 20 per cent of the country’s urban population and 8 per cent of the rural are HIV positive. Since June 2000, recorded cases of HIV/AIDS in rural areas have increased by 2 per cent. This increase results primarily from the breakdown of social structures and poor living conditions in IDP camps, along with cultural taboos around discussion of sexuality and HIV/AIDS prevention.

In order to empower Burundians to prevent further spread of HIV/AIDS, UNCIEF activities with Government and NGO partners focus on social mobilization campaigns targeting young people and displaced populations, training of peer educators, training of primary school teachers, production of information and education materials, and multimedia campaigns on HIV/AIDS. In 2001, UNICEF is also reinforcing the capacity of its pilot programme of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) through: improving testing and counseling services, training of personnel of the PMTCT Centre and the provision of medicine and infant formula.

Constraints

The major challenge for UNICEF in 2000 was limited access to beneficiaries as a result of insecurity. UNICEF is working to improve its access to beneficiaries through better security systems and more field presence. Arrangements are being made to open a field office in Muyinga.

3. APPEAL REQUIREMENTS AND RECEIPTS

From the above table, it is evident that UNICEF is in great need of funding in all sectors. As a result of the increasing complex situation in Burundi and the great demands on UNICEF, funding is urgently required. The need for more support for protection was highly emphasized in the recommendations from the Senior Inter-Agency Network on Internal Displacement in December 2000. The table and graph below give the donor contributions for 2001 Appeal, with sectoral indications.

4. IMPACT OF UNDER-FUNDING

Shortfalls in funding are now being felt, especially in three critical areas directly affecting child survival.

Emergency Nutrition Programmes

Thanks to a quick response to new requests, UNICEF has been able to procure sufficient quantities of therapeutic milk and UNIMIX to meet the immediate supplementary nutritional needs of approximately 85,000 children and therapeutic feeding needs of 4,500 severely malnourished children. However, present levels of need will most likely continue beyond the present funding, which leaves a funding gap of US$ 2,892,317 for nutritional management. Therapeutic feeding centres serving severely malnourished children risk shortages and delayed deliveries by end May, if additional resources are not received. Lack of response to the early warning in June 2000 forced UNICEF to fall back on expensive shipping procedures needed to get supplies quickly. This reduced the total amount of food that could be purchased and put UNICEF further behind the funding curve.

Immunization Programme

As a result of shortfalls, UNICEF reallocated funds from training and support activities to vaccination campaigns in response to two widespread measles epidemics in western Burundi. This not only added to the confusion of reporting and accounting but also contributed to a relatively inefficient ad hoc solution to an emergency that had been predicted. In the end, it consumed an inordinate amount of staff effort.

Malaria Programme

There has been an alarming increase in the incidence of malaria over the past few years. UNICEF was not able to keep up with the demand for drugs, even though it is only one agency among a larger team working on this problem. In order to have an impact, UNICEF has developed a plan that integrates malaria prevention and treatment. Without the funding of the US$ 1,591,955 gap, the morbidity and mortality rates will almost certainly continue to rise and will contribute to higher mortality rates from malnutrition.

Malick Sene
UNICEF Representative
Burundi
Email: msene@unicef.org
Robin Medforth-Mills
UNICEF EMOPS
Geneva
Fax : + 41 22 909 5902
E-mail: rmmills@unicef.org

Dan Rohrmann
UNICEF PFO
New York
Fax: + 1 212 326 7165
E-mail: drohrmann@unicef.org

For more information, visit the UNICEF website at http://www.unicef.org/