A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
In April 2015, tension and violence erupted in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura, and some provinces following the president’s decision to run for a third term. This resulted in many casualties in the capital and large numbers of people fleeing the country. The presidential elections were held in July 2015, after which President Nkurunziza was re- elected and sworn in for a third term amidst ongoing tension in the country. Over 326,295 people fled Burundi since April 2015, seeking safety in the neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia (UNHCR, December 2016, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/burundi). By November 2016, over 83,113 of these Burundian nationals have sought refuge in Rwanda (see UNHCR report). The image below gives some insights of the total population of refugees in Rwanda.
Ever since the arrival of the refugees, there have been cumulatively increasing urgent needs within the entry points, transit camps, and Mahama camp. The assessment performed by the RRCS showed that there are particularly needs in the areas of hygiene promotion, psychosocial support, beneficiary communication, first aid, protection, and environmental protection.
According to UNHCR, there are more than 27,139 urban refugees living in Rwanda’s capital city Kigali, and other urban centers in eastern Rwanda. These refugees have been registered by UNHCR, and the majority rent houses and rooms within host communities. The needs of the urban refugee population remain high, as they struggle to access markets, healthcare, education and affordable housing. Although the needs were high, it was decided to focus efforts on Mahama camp and the surrounding host community as they were identified as a large population with high levels of vulnerabilities and needs.