World Vision warns of worsening refugee crisis ahead of Burundi elections

World Vision has today (Monday 20 July 2015) called for more funding and international support for the refugee crisis in Tanzania ahead of the Burundi elections tomorrow. Latest UN figures show that over 169,000 refugees have already fled the East African country since political unrest began in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura in April this year. 

60% of those fleeing are children; and in Tanzania alone, nearly 80,000 Burundian have sought refuge in the Nyarugusu refugee camp according to the UN. 

Sarah Pickwick, World Vision UK Senior Conflict Adviser who was recently at Nyarugusu refugee camp said: “The conditions on the ground are dire. Nyarugusu is now hosting more than twice the number of refugees than its intended capacity. There’s been a huge strain on health and water services with limited sleeping spaces.” 

“Life is not easy for the children and families I’ve met on the ground. I met 11-year-old David who has been sleeping outside because it’s too crowded in his shelter. He misses his friends and school back in Burundi. He has found it difficult to fit in and adapt to the food in the camp. This boy is unsure whether he will be able to continue his education, and sadly, I wasn’t able to provide him any comfort in this. 

“The international community needs to act now to ensure living conditions in the Nyarugusu improve. There is an urgent need for basics such as food, sanitation, healthcare and water,” Pickwick explained.

The Nyarugusu refugee camp was originally built for 50,000 refugees but the camp now hosts over 140,000 refugees following the political unrest in Burundi. According to the UNHCR, 150,000 more people could still flee Burundi.  

Since the start of the Burundian refugee crisis, World Vision has been providing child protection training courses in villages along the border between Tanzania and Burundi while providing food and healthcare support to people on the various refugee routes. Following the cholera outbreak, the charity has also been providing healthcare awareness campaigns on communicable diseases to villages who hosted passing Burundian refugees.

“Due to funding shortfall, many of the critical needs to this crisis are unmet. The UN reports that its £207 million appeal for the entire regional crisis in May has only been 13 percent funded. Nyarugusu is a clear example where funding shortfall has contributed to an overstretched camp where thousands of refugees are living in squalid and deplorable conditions,” Pickwick said.