Situation in numbers
122,626 refugees have arrived from Burundi since May 2015 (UNHCR – as of 29th December 2015).
188,037 Total refugee (pre and post 2015 influx) population in Nyarugusu and Nduta camps plus transit (UNHCR – as of 24th December 2015)
4,419 Unaccompanied and Separated Children
39,000 (est.) School aged Burundi refugee children in Tanzania
US $5.6m UNICEF 2015 funding gap
Highlights:
A high level Ministerial visit to the refugee camps on 29 December demonstrated the government’s ongoing commitment to welcoming refugees into the country. The Minister’s ensured the population that security would be maintained, and urged for improved services and a reduction in the impact on host communities and the environment.
A cholera outbreak continues to affect host communities in villages along Lake Tanganyika, which is the same districts where the refugee camps are located. A new outbreak has appeared since 4th December in Kagunga border area with 108 cases reported to date. However, no cases have been reported so far in the refugee camps.
A deworming, Vitamin A and nutritional screening campaign was conducted in Nyarugusu and Nduta camps reaching a total 31,902 children aged 6-59 months.
A measles vaccination campaign has been conducted in Nduta camp (from 4 to 8 Dec.) reaching over 4,000 newly arrived refugee children aged 9 to 59 months.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In view of a possible accelerated refugee influx from Burundi, UNICEF, UNHCR and partners have conducted joint missions to key border entry points to assess the infrastructure and services. Entry points were found to be poorly equipped to respond efficiently and effectively to a potential mass influx: shelter and WASH infrastructure need serious rehabilitation while access to food, health, and protection services needs to be strengthened. Actions are being taken by partners to fill some of the most urgent needs and gaps identified. The Inter-Agency Emergency Plan is being strengthened based on these assessments.
Tanzania’s Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Defence all visited the refugee camps on 29 December. At the same time the Minister of Foreign Affairs was in Burundi for further talks. The purpose of the ministerial visit was to reassure refugees that Tanzania will continue to welcome them, to remind them to maintain security within the camps, to urge for protection of the environment and to ensure peaceful co-existence with host communities.
The flow of refugees from Burundi to Tanzania continued unabated throughout December. The numbers per day ranged from a handful to over 500 with an average of around 200 per day as of the end of the last week of December.