2020 RESPONSE IN NUMBERS
333,702 BURUNDIAN REFUGEES AS OF 30 JUNE 2020
USD 67.1M FUNDING RECEIVED BY SEPT 2020, REPRESENTING 23% OF REQUIREMENTS
3,247 NEW BURUNDIAN REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN 2020
6,423 BURUNDIAN REFUGEES ASSISTED TO VOLUNTARILY RETURN IN 2020
35 UN, INTERNATIONAL NGO AND NATIONAL NGO PARTNERS INVOLVED
REGIONAL SITUATION OVERVIEW
As of 30 June 2020, over 333,000 Burundian refugees remained in exile in the four main refugee hosting countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The 2020 Burundi Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) brings together 35 partners requesting USD 289.8 million to meet the life-saving and resilience needs of Burundian refugees in these countries in 2020. The Burundi situation continues to be severely underfunded; by 30 June 2020, agencies had received some USD 36 million, representing only 12 per cent of requirements.
A total of 3,247 Burundians entered asylum countries in the region between January and March 2020. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, and with the closure of borders in the region, no new arrivals have been registered. COVID-19 has exacerbated the already precarious condition of Burundian refugees in the region. Pressure on the mostly inadequate health and sanitation systems available to Burundians living in remote areas of countries of asylum increases the risk of an outbreak.
Despite significant underfunding, and the impact of COVID-19, RRRP partners were able to support Burundian refugees across a number of key sectors. Over 274,000 Burundian refugees have received food assistance in 2020, though food ration cuts were felt by several countries in the region due to funding constraints. 99.7% of SGBV survivors received appropriate support, while 51% of children with specific protection needs received individual case management. A total of 17,300 students were reached by distance learning programmes in Rwanda and Tanzania, however this only represented 24% of enrolled students.