Highlights:
Final examinations for 1,323 Burundian refugee children who missed out in last years’ exams due to displacement, were held in March 2017 for grades 9/10 and 13/14 in all three camps. The final grades from these exams will be sent to students in May 2017.
Since January 2017, UNICEF has provided scholastic supplies for 76,156 Burundi and Congolese primary school children as well as all teaching supplies covering all three camps.
Through UNICEF support an additional 20 Social Welfare Officers were deployed in April, from other districts in Tanzania, to work within the three camps over the next few months specifically focusing on case management for children. As a result of ongoing vaccination in the camps, no outbreak of vaccine preventable disease has been reported to date.
The Kigoma region was declared free from cholera on 24 March, 2017, after a localized cholera outbreak that began in late 2016.
Situation in Numbers
Key Figures
310,824 Total refugee population (Burundian & Congolese) living in the 3 refugee camps (UNHCR, April 2017)
177,170 Refugee children (U18 years of age) living in the 3 refugee camps (Estimation based on 57% child population)
68,380 Refugee children under 5 years of age living in the 3 refugee camps (Estimation based on 22% U5 population
Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs
Tanzania hosts the largest number of Burundian refugees in the eastern and southern Africa region, and when combined with the pre-existing caseload of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the total number of refugees in Tanzania is over 310,000. The current influx of refugees into Tanzania from Burundi averages 45 people per day, which is an 80% decrease from previous reporting periods. The decrease in the refugee influx is attributed to tighter border measures put in place by the Tanzania government after the Prima Facie status was revoked in January 2017. While the screening process of asylum-seekers by immigration authorities at border entry points is ongoing, UNHCR and partners continue to highlight concerns with the Government of Tanzania at all levels over the challenges faced by Burundian asylum-seekers in gaining entry into Tanzania.
Food rations in all three camps have been low over the past few weeks, with some commodities cut by 50%, due to a WFP pipeline break and low funding levels. However, food rations and supplementary feeding programmes targeting vulnerable groups of people, including children under five, pregnant and lactating women and people at entry points, as well as people at transit and reception centers were not affected by this food ration reduction. In May 2017, food ration quantities will have improved to 100% in all but one commodity which will ease the food strain on the population.
The Nduta camp has a carrying capacity of 127,000 people, and the current population stands at 123,000. Based on current population trends, it is expected that Nduta will reach its carrying capacity in the next 48 days. UNHCR and partners continue to advocate with the government for the allocation of new land to establish additional refugee sites.