Burundi needs US$222.6 million for the 2021 Joint Refugee Return and Reintegration Plan
RegionWeek Newsletter Vol IV, Issue #163 | Monday, February 16, 2021
This is RegionWeek Newsletter for the 4th Season (January-June 2021), a briefing that adds depth to strategic events, and topics. The content targets Business leaders, Decision-makers, and Young professionals with interests in Burundi and East Africa. Subscribe to stay productive, and competitive in a pandemic and disrupted season.
Dear RegionWeek Readers
This Tuesday in a press release UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency announced that, together with 33 partners, is appealing for US$222.6 million to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance for over 315,000 Burundian refugees during 2021.
An Interagency Plan to support the return and reintegration of Burundian refugees was made public on Monday, February 15, 2021. The 35 pages document, starts with a foreword signed by the Minister of the Interior, Community Development And Public Security, Gervais Ndirakobuca, acknowledging that the increasing interest shown by refugees to return to Burundi, combined with the challenging context, highlights the need for innovative and long-term interventions to support returnees and host communities to achieve self-reliance and resilience.
1.Burundi Government’s Strategy
As the plan states, the Government of Burundi is working to ensure that returnees are able to re-establish themselves into their communities by promoting their economic and social integration through its institutional body, the Directorate General for Repatriation, Resettlement, Reintegration of Returnees and War- Displaced Persons. Various initiatives are being put in place, including the National Strategy for the Socio-Economic Reintegration of Disaster Victims (2017-2021) adopted by the Council of Ministers in 2017 and the National Development Plan for the period 2018-2027.
2.The challenges faced in the areas of the highest return
The plan reminds us that in the aftermath of the 2015 political crisis, international sanctions and insecurity affected the country’s economy, leading to market instability, price increases, food insecurity, and supply shortages. Refugee returns and, at times, secondary displacements are exerting additional pressure in the already extremely vulnerable and fragile Burundian communities. Most refugees have returned to the provinces of Makamba, Kirundo, and Ruyigi, provinces that lack the required social and economic infrastructure for sustainable reintegration of refugee returnees.
The planned response for 2021 will be anchored in targeted reintegration activities to be carried out in the areas of highest return, through a protection and gender mainstreaming perspective. It is essential to establish stronger links with key actors within the economic reintegration sector such as the ILO and certain ministries (Finance, Labor), the private sector, the World Bank, UNDP, and other UN agencies.
UNHCR, together with the concerned governments and partners adopted a range of COVID-19 prevention measures to protect the returnees as well as UNHCR and partners ’staff and to mitigate against the spread of the virus during voluntary repatriation activities.
3. Key numbers so far
The voluntary repatriation of Burundian refugees from Tanzania started in September 2017, and 109,419 refugees have been assisted to return home to date. An increase in the return trend from Tanzania has been observed since July 2020, bringing the total number of assisted returns in 2020 to 30,636 individuals. Since 27 August 2020, almost 8,000 individuals have returned from Rwanda, while 12,000 more have formally expressed their intention to return.
In Uganda, 600 Burundian refugees also requested to be assisted with voluntary returns to Burundi, 231 were assisted to repatriate by air (with two charter flights) in December 2020 with the remaining number to return in the first three months of 2021.
As of the end of December 2020, close to 363,000 Burundian refugees remain in exile in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, South Africa, and Zambia. It is important to note that this number includes some refugees who had fled their homes in Burundi prior to the April 2015 events.
It is expected that 142,890 of them may opt to repatriate in 2021, including 92,950 from Tanzania; 6,000 from the DRC; 40,000 from Rwanda; 2,000 from Uganda, and 1,040 from Kenya.
We understand that it is exceptionally difficult for business leaders and highly productive Professionals to stay current on all important news. We filter the news, to bring to you concise information about game-changing events and insights. Do you enjoy RegionWeek Newsletter since its launch? or have just recently become a reader? Please consider subscribing for $5 a month!
4.The return package does not meet the returnees’ needs
The plan mentions that a refugee returnee kit will be provided to each household, which includes three monthly rations, a cash grant, and Non- Food Items (NFIs). In 2020, UNHCR increased the cash grant from 75 $ to 150 $ per adult; and from $ 35 to $ 75 per child distributed via mobile cash technology. Despite the increase, the return package does not meet the returnees ’needs for 3 months.
This year’s funding appeal – the 2021 Burundi Regional Refugee Response Plan – seeks critical support for the provision of food, shelter, and education, as well as access to healthcare and water, which are particularly needed to ensure prevention and response measures related to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Increased international support is crucial to ensure Burundian refugees receive meaningful protection and care in neighboring countries,’’ said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, UNHCR’s Regional Director for the East, Horn of Africa, and Great Lakes region. “Committing resources is an important signal that the world has not forgotten Burundian refugees and their host communities.”
In 2020, the response to the Burundian refugee situation was among the most underfunded globally with last year’s US$293 million appeals just 40 percent funded.
5. Key stakeholders
From 22 to 24 July 2020 in Kigoma, Tanzania, the tripartite technical working group on the voluntary return of Burundian refugees accepted the recommendation to create a platform for the coordination of reintegration of the returnees. Responding to the need to harmonize interventions and enhance coordination among the international community.
The 2021 Burundi Regional Refugee Response Plan brings together some 20 partners in Burundi and includes Government ministries, UN agencies, and NGOs, notably the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Human Rights, Social Affairs and Gender, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Youth, UNHCR, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, FAO, UN Women, WFP, WHO, UNAIDS, IOM, CARE, DRC, IRC, JRS, and Welthunger Hilfe. The Director-General for Repatriation, Reintegration, and Reinstallation of the Ministry of Interior manages the coordination of refugee returns with the support of UNDP (as the lead for reintegration) and UNHCR (as the lead for repatriation) and the other partners.
Thanks for reading!
Fabrice Iranzi, RegionWeek.com
Support RegionWeek Newsletter!
Contribute at least $5/Month, and join our amazing community of supporters!
RegionWeek is a Burundi-based media for a new generation of achievers in Africa, a platform devoted to chronicling the journey to Freedom and Empowerment.