Highlights
Following advocacy by UNICEF and partners, 13 children detained in adult prisons were transferred into an environment appropriate for children at the reeducation centers in Rumonge and Ruyigi.
The number of malaria cases remains high compared to previous years, but is decreasing. UNICEF continues to provide technical supportto the Ministry of Health in coordination with WHO to monitor the situation and strengthen data collection and analysis.
Recurrent violence continues to affect the psychological wellbeing of children. UNICEF is supporting 28 Child-Friendly Spaces in the capital to provide psychological support and recreational activities for children. In addition, teachers in vulnerable neighborhoods are being trained in the identification of cases of trauma among children.
Key figures
253,600 Burundi Refugees seeking asylum in neighboring countries (UNHCR, 27 March 2016)
1,615,855 Reported malaria cases (MOH, January-March 2016)
759 Deaths due to Malaria (MOH, January-March 2016)
83% Unfunded UNICEF Burundi 2016 HAC: US$16.54m (UNICEF, 31 March 2o16)
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The political and security situation in Burundi remains volatile, with a number of attacks, arrests and assassinations occurring during the reporting period that could cause the situation to escalate given the tense political and security landscape. The volatile context continues to affect the humanitarian situation and spur displacement, with more than 6,300 new departures registered in the past month. The total number of Burundi refugees in neighboring countries has increased to 253,600, while the official number of internally displaced people in three of the border provinces still stands at 25,081 (IOM, 29 Jan 2016).
High-level advocacy continues in favor of the protection and well-being of children in the volatile context. Following the announcement in February of the release of some 2,000 prisoners by President Nkurunziza, UNICEF’s Representative sent a letter to the Minister of Justice on 14 March requesting a list of the children among this group and requesting the transfer of all children currently detained in the prisons to the reeducation centers. As a result, the first group of 13 children who benefited from the presidential pardon were transferred to the re-education centers of Rumonge and Ruyigi, and the process of their reintegration is ongoing with partner NGOs IRC, Terre des Hommes, FVS-AMADE, Fondation Stamm and government social workers (CDFC).
Recurrent violence continues to affect the psychological wellbeing of children. Some 28 Child-Friendly Spaces continue to operate in the capital, bringing much-needed psychosocial support to 4,159 children. To enable teachers to identify and refer cases of trauma in the areas of Cibitoke, Musaga, Nyakabiga, Ngagara and Bwiza, two focal points per school have been identified and will be trained to serve as bridges with the Child-Friendly Spaces and with the psychosocial platform.
Thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and its partners, the number of cases of malaria in the country is decreasing while the situation is being closely monitored, especially in the 18 highly affected health districts. From January to mid-March, there were 1,615,855 malaria cases recorded with 759 deaths (this is almost double compared to the same period in 2015, which recorded 870,764 cases and 407 deceased). As colead of the health sector, UNICEF is providing technical support for data collection, data management and situation analysis to further inform coordination and response.
No new cholera cases have been reported since January when three cases were treated in Nyanza Lac district in the south of the country.