Highlights
In the last week of April, three children were killed, including one 3-year-old girl, bringing the total number of children killed in crisis-related incidents to 29.
In collaboration with partners, eight girls formerly living on the street and subjected to repeated sexual violence are now receiving psychosocial and medical support as well as temporary care. The family tracing process is on-going.
New cases of cholera were identified in Rumonge on 29 March 2016, with a total of 19 cases reported to date. All patients have been treated and released from the hospital.
With the number of malaria casesin 2016 double compared to previous years, UNICEF continues to provide technical support to the Ministry of Health in coordination with WHO to monitor the situation and strengthen data collection and analysis.
Key figures
29 Children killed in crisis-related incidents since April 2015
(UNICEF, 29 April 2016)
259,275 Refugees seeking asylum in neighboring countries
(UNHCR, 28 April 2016)
3,101,552 Reported malaria cases
(MOH, April 2016)
76% Unfunded UNICEF Burundi 2016 HAC: US$16.54m
(UNICEF, 30 April 2o16)
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
The political and security situation on the ground remains volatile, with three children killed in the last week of April, including a 3-year-old girl who died in a grenade attack. The unpredictable context continues to impact the humanitarian situation and spur displacement, with more than 5,675 new departures in the past month.
The total number of refugees in neighboring countries has increased to 259,275, while the official number of displaced people registered in three of the border provinces stands at 25,294 (IOM, 31 March 2016), of which 58 per cent are children. Among the displaced, 79 per cent reported leaving for social and political reasons.
The Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Displaced persons visited Burundi from the 18to 20April 2016 during which he met with heads of agencies and key protection actors. The Special Rapporteur made recommendations for protecting displaced persons in the current crisis. During his visit, he received a commitment from the Minister of Human Rights that the Kampala Convention, which covers the protection of internally displaced persons (IDPs), will be ratified. During meetings with the Special Rapporteur, UNICEF emphasized the increasing vulnerability of children and adolescents subject to arbitrary arrest or detention.
Children are regularly arrested, especially children who are unaccompanied or who are on the move between provinces or fleeing to neighboring countries. In addition, children living in contested areas, particularly boys, are at greater risk during search and arrest operations.
A new cholera outbreak started in Rumonge province on 29 March 2016. To date, a cumulative total of 19 cases have been reported and all patients have been treated and released from the hospital. However, while patient treatment outcomes have improved, timely and quality reporting remains a challenge. In response, UNICEF continues to strengthen the capacity of health workers in the most cholera-affected provinces of Makamba and Rumonge, to use RapidPro SMS reporting tools.
Malaria cases reported in 2016 are more than double those reported in the same period of 2015, with 3,101,552 cases and 1,470 deaths reported in 2016, compared to 1,135,278 cases and 528 deaths reported in 2015. Ministry of Health (MoH) partners are closely monitoring the situation, while UNICEF continues to supply contingency drugs to the national malaria control program.