HIGHLIGHTS
A total of 221,375 Burundian refugees and asylum-seekers have arrived in the neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Republic of Tanzania, Rwanda, as well as Uganda and Zambia since April 2015.
In Burundi, the security situation in the cities of Bujumbura, Makamba and Kirundo is extremely tense. Violence has surged in recent weeks and although the insurgency is armed, it is still operating at a relatively low scale. Nevertheless, there are indications that the Government has not been able to contain the situation. On a regional level, UNHCR is scaling up its contingency planning and preparedness in the event of a sustained increase in arrivals in the weeks to come. Border and protection monitoring is being reinforced, the capacity of hosting structures is being extended and NFI stocks are being augmented.
Since the protests began in April, at least 220 deaths have been reported, including two UN staff. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution strongly condemning the escalating violence in Burundi. The resolution paves the way for the UN to bolster international presence in Burundi.