WEEKLY SITUATION REPORT 31 July – 5 August 2006

UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES Office for the Coordination of Bureau de Coordination des Affaires Humanitarian Affairs in Humanitaires au Burundi www.ochaburundi.org www.ochaburundi.org

ACTIVITIES AND UPDATES

• Health agencies support the Government’s decision on free Mother and child healthcare. Preparations for supporting the Government’s decision on free health care for children under five and pregnant women continued this week. The main partner ECHO agreed to provide financial support amounting to 1 million US$ through UNICEF. This is for the provision of essential drugs and consumables required for running primary health care and necessary infrastructure for three months (from August to October 2006). The distribution of the drugs to health centres will be organised through all implementing health partners in Burundi. For the same purpose, a team of two consultants from DFID were in Burundi this week to evaluate the possibility of providing additional support for 12 month’s provision of essential drugs to health centres from November 2006 to October 2007.

• Update on assistance to Burundians expelled from Tanzania: During the reporting week, PARESI , the reintegration governmental body reported 172 persons who arrived through Kobero (Muyinga). In an effort to improve assistance to these people, Burundi Red Cross Society is in talks with Burundian authorities, German Red Cross and other partners on the functioning and management of the transit centre, which is being prepared by a branch of Burundi Red Cross in Muyinga. On its end, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) completed an evaluation of needs with the objective of installing a water system. The transit centre can host up to 120 persons.

• Assistance to Congolese refugees in Burundi: On Monday 31 July, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) inaugurated a new library in the Congolese refugee camp of Gihinga, Mwaro province. This new initiative, which was supported by the members of the international community in Bujumbura, will enable the refugees to consult books, magazines and comics in French, English, Swahili and Kirundi. In the future, NRC intends to make the library accessible to the local population of Mwaro.

• Food security: For the agricultural season 2007A starting September 2006, FAO/Emergency Rehabilitation and Coordination Unit (ERCU) will distribute around 80,000 fruit plants to beneficiaries. During the reporting week, FAO/ERCU and partner organizations conducted missions aimed at following-up the situation of the livestock distributed to vulnerable families. In every site where a community solidarity chain has been initiated, a follow-up committee was set up. Between March and June 2006, FAO/ERCU distributed 2,289 goats in Makamba, Rutana, Ruyigi, Cankuzo, Muyinga, Karuzi and Ngozi in order to improve the food security situation for the vulnerable population.

• Rwandan Asylum Seekers: Over the reporting week, 242 Rwandans returned to their home country with the support of UNHCR. In order to speed up the process of refugee status determination, 4 additional jurists were recruited. Further to a report on the presence of Burundians in the site, PARESI , the Reintegration governmental body has undertaken their identification.

• Ongoing assistance to victims of food insecurity in Ruyigi: Through Burundi Red Cross, Burundi Government continues to deliver food aid to families affected by drought in the 5 provinces declared most affected. During the reporting period, the branch of Burundi Red Cross (1,200 volunteers) in Ruyigi distributed 282 MT food aid to 10,200 families throughout six out of seven communes. Delivered food consisted of beans, cassava, maize flour, palm oil and salt.

For more information: Adélaide Habonimana, E-mail: [email protected], Tel: (257) 910 196

WEEKLY SITUATION REPORT 31 July – 5 August 2006

• Assistance to HIV/AIDS affected persons: With the objective of reinforcing medical assistance capacities for HIV/AIDS affected persons, a local NGO, the Burundian Alliance against AIDS (ABS) organized a five-day seminar for member associations. This activity was supported by the Ministry of Health and ONUB HIV unit. The training focused on the administration of the anti retroviral treatment, side effects and follow up of persons under treatment. Participants included a physician and a nurse from Nturengaho local NGO, which is involved in assisting victims of sexual violence. Participants recommended that such training be extended to health staff especially to those working in maternity services and health centres.

• Refugee returns: During the week under review, UNHCR facilitated the return of 1,478 Burundians from exile. As of 6 August 2006, UNHCR has facilitated the return of 10,571 Burundian refugees; this includes 10,245 facilitated and 326 spontaneous.

• Reintegration activities: UNDP PRRSLP (Programme de Réintégration, Réhabilitation des Sinistrés et de Lutte contre la Pauvreté) announced the launch of 11 projects amounting to 2.5 million US$ within the framework of the integrated operational plans for reintegration in the 5 identified provinces - Rutana, Ruyigi, Cankuzo, Karuzi and Makamba.

PROTECTION , ECURITY , ACCESS AND COORDINATION

• Security incidents: On 31 July, 6 FNL rebels were reportedly killed during clashes between FNL movement and the National Defence Force (FDN) in Gitaza area in Muhuta commune (Bujumbura Rural). In province, armed persons supposedly FNL rebels looted several households in Muzinda during the night of 30 to 31 July (Rugazi commune) and Kanazi () on 31 July; money and household belongings were stolen. On 3 August, 7 persons were wounded in a grenade attack in Kinama commune (Bujumbura Mairie); Two of the seven wounded reportedly died later as a result of their injuries. On 5 August, 4 persons including 2 soldiers and 2 civilians were killed in an ambush blamed on FNL rebels in (Bubanza). On the same day, FNL rebels attacked a military patrol resulting in the death of one soldier.

• Coordination: OCHA and the National Aid Coordination Committee (CNCA) finalized the joint plan for missions in the provinces in order to take stock of the situation with regard to coordination. These missions will be conducted from 8 to 31 August.

• Early Warning: As part of the efforts to support the Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF organized a 4 day regional workshop on the preparedness and response regarding cholera epidemic situation in Burundi for 2006. Participants to the said workshop were provincial health teams from the most affected provinces along Lake Tanganyika (Cibitoke, Bubanza, Bururi, Makamba, Bujumbura Rural and Bujumbura Mairie). During the workshop, participants were taught to investigate cholera epidemic, to properly manage cases and also to organize prevention activities. Discussions are ongoing for the provision to these provinces of security stock of drugs, reagents and other necessary material before any cholera epidemic starts in September 2006.

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For more information: Adélaide Habonimana, E-mail: [email protected], Tel: (257) 910 196