ReliefWeb

In Numbers

980 mt of food assistance distributed

US$ 33.3 m net funding requirements for the next six months (August 2020- January 2021)

81, 878 people assisted in July 2020

Operational Updates

Assistance to refugees: In July, WFP resumed food assistance to refugees following the introduction of double distributions in April. WFP reached 48,736 refugees with US$130, 374 and 781 mt of food. Distributions did not take place in June, as there was a double distribution in mid-May, before the then-upcoming elections, which prompted WFP to preposition a two-month ration in refugee camps in April as a contingency measure. During the July distributions, WFP reintroduced the distribution of cash (US$ 0.09/Person/month) to enable households to buy fresh foods to diversify their ration.

To mitigate the spread of COVID-19, WFP introduced food packaging, for the first time in its refugees activity in Burundi. WFP’s cooperating partner’s staff packaged the food entitlements per family size. Only one family at a time was authorized to enter the distribution site and collect its entitlement. This ensured there was no overcrowding at the distribution sites.

Assistance to returnees: WFP provided food assistance to 2,321 returnees who entered Burundi through Gitara transit centre in the southern province of Makamba, and Nyabitare in eastern province of Ruyigi. They received 107.5 mt of food in the form of cooked ration at transit centres, and a three-month return package to help them reintegrate their communities. Upon arrival in transit centres, the returnees had to comply with protective measures in place against COVID-19, including testing.

Assistance to IDPs: The three-month food assistance for 25,860 people displaced by the recent torrential rains and floods mostly in Gatumba and Bujumbura was completed in June. On 17 July, WFP and other stakeholders involved in humanitarian assistance for the IDPs held an after-action review to assess the effectiveness of the response. The review concluded that, overall, people assisted were satisfied with the assistance provided. Part of the lessons learned, and recommendations provided by the participants and stakeholders was to improve coordination between humanitarian actors and strengthen involvement of local administration.

Nutrition: Treatment of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) activities reached approximately 5,865 moderately malnourished pregnant and nursing women and 8,498 children aged 6-59 months in Cankuzo, Kirundo, Ngozi and Rutana Provinces with 44 mt of Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNF).