Attachments
In Numbers
557,179 people assisted in December 2024
USD 1,858,598 cash transferred to refugees, people affected by climatic shocks, schools for local food procurement, and through social protection mechanisms and resilience building programmes.
584 mt of food assistance distributed
USD 24.45 m six months net funding requirements (February - July 2025)
Operational Updates
• Assistance to refugees: WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 58,771 refugees and asylum seekers across six camps and two transit centers, comprising 56 percent women. Among them, there were 15,868 children (6-59 months) and 2,351 elderly individuals (60+ years). 56,328 refugees in camps received hybrid rations of in-kind food and cash transfers, while 2,443 asylum seekers in transit centres were provided with hot meals during their stay, which typically lasts up to three days. In December, WFP distributed 305 mt of in-kind food and USD 507,507 in cash transfers. However, due to resource constraints, refugees received only 75 percent of the recommended monthly rations. With new restrictions from the US Government, rations may be further reduced to 50 percent as from March 2025.
• Assistance to returnees: WFP provided 31 mt of in-kind assistance to 1,307 Burundian returnees, including 353 children. Support included hot meals during their stay at transit centers and cash-based transfers (CBT) to cover three months of food needs as part of a return package aimed at supporting their reintegration. Self-reliance continues to lack sufficient investment and support.
• Assistance to those affected by climatic shocks: WFP distributed USD 82,412 via cash-based transfers to 5,060 people affected by floods. This included populations relocated from the flooded Gatumba district, to Gateri, the new IDP site in Cibitoke province.
• Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition: In December, WFP provided 16 mt of specialized nutritious foods to 3,648 children aged 6-59 moths for treatment of moderate acute malnutrition across Cankuzo, Ruyigi, Muyinga, Ngozi, Kirundo, and Rutana provinces. However, due to a shortage of SuperCereal Plus, moderately malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls did not receive treatment in December.
• Under the KfW-funded nutrition and resilience programme, 2,891 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 12,654 children aged 6-24 months received 32 mt of specialised nutritious foods to prevent stunting. In parallel, WFP assisted 6,878 households (34,390 beneficiaries) participating in resilience-building activities in Kirundo, Karusi, Ruyigi and Rutana provinces with USD 70,046 in cash-based transfers.
• Home-grown School Meals Programme: WFP provided locally procured school meals to 363,918 children, representing 64 percent of the total planned. Implementation was hindered by fuel shortages and maize quality issues. To overcome these challenges, WFP is substituting maize with locally sourced rice where market conditions allow. In December, WFP distributed 200 mt of in-kind commodities with a value of USD 354,884 for local food purchases, sourcing its commodities from local smallholder farmers and cooperatives.
• Social protection programme: The Merankabandi project financed by the Government of Burundi, accelerates the enrolment of the most vulnerable refugee families hosted in the Bwagiriza and Nyankanda refugee camps (Ruyigi Province) into the national social protection programme. In December, WFP distributed USD 84,482 in cash transfers to 16,930 refugees. These transfers were complemented by training sessions on social behavior change and entrepreneurship skills, to support the development of income-generating activities and improve the refugees’ financial autonomy and selfreliance.