INTER GOVERNMENTAL / HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY

COORDINATION MEETING

Bujumbura, Burundi

19 MARCH 2001

This was the sixth meeting convened between the government of Burundi, UN agencies and international NGOs active in Bujumbura Mairie since the beginning of the displacement crisis in Bujumbura. The Minister of Human Rights chaired the meeting. Representatives of the Mayor of Bujumbura, and the Ministries of Health, Defence and 3Rs were also present.

The current situation in Kinama, Kamenge, and Cibitoke

The representative of the Mayor of Bujumbura reported that the populations of Kamenge and Cibitoke had returned to their homes after the cessation of combats and the restoration of security.

He also said that out of a total of 10,000 households resident in Kinama, to date 3,500 had returned. The rest remain dispersed in neighbouring areas.

According to the local administration, to date 350 homes are reported to have been damaged after the fighting in Kinama.

The representative of the Mayor also stated that public infrastructures have been affected by the fighting too. He reported that the market, six health centres, the secondary school, two primary schools and the office of the ‘zone’ had been damaged.

He reported that the collection of corpses in Kinama is almost complete.

The “Regideso” (commercial water supplier) has already reopened the water lines.

Electricity supply has not been re-established, but work is in progress.

According to observations of the local administration, most of the returnees are reported to be house-owners, eager to return to their property and to begin reconstruction works, while tenants, especially of houses that were destructed or partly destructed, are less willing to return and currently on the lookout for alternative lodgings.

Security

According to the representative of the Ministry of Defence, security in Kinama is improving and the ongoing gradual return movements should be encouraged further.

He confirmed that UXOs are an issue in Kinama, and that government forces are actively working to address the problem, in cooperation with the local population.

Assistance provided to Returnees

Water and Sanitation

Rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities is underway. The “Regideso” seems to be handling the situation. Humanitarian actors, led by the US NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC), are ready to intervene if additional efforts are needed.

Health

MSF has re-established two health posts in Kinama and is currently conducting an average of 150 consultations/day.

MSF also monitors the epidemic situation and tests suspected cases of cholera.

The Dutch NGO Memisa/COPED is currently discussing the deployment of a mobile clinic with local health officials in Kinama.

Governmental representatives reported that the removal of bodies has been organized efficiently to avoid traumatization of the returning populations and to contain the risk of outbreaks of epidemics.

A joint evaluation mission to Kinama was conducted by WHO and the Ministry of Health on 16 March. Their recommendations will be presented at the Health coordination meeting to be held on 20 March.

Providing Assistance – Issues and Challenges

WFP and CRS are ready to continue assistance to the population most affected by the recent displacement, providing that there are transparent, inclusive registration procedures, comprehensive and accurate lists of beneficiaries, as well as adequate security measures.

The representative of the Mayor said that the local administrations were keeping exact lists of returnees, so that all residents of Kinama would have the chance to obtain assistance upon their return.

CRS raised the issue of constraints that are affecting the import of blankets, as NGOs are obliged to buy them on the local market. The HC indicated that he’s already working to address the issue with the relevant authorities.

The Minister for Human Rights remarked that many returnees have moved back to sites, after having found out that distributions of return packages were not taking place immediately after their arrival.

The Minister also encouraged all partners to continue organizing joint visits to Kinama and to the other affected zones.

SCF and their partner follow up with children that have lost contact with their parents. According to SCF, many of them are very young.

JRS raised the question of difficulties in providing assistance to dispersed populations currently staying with their families and still reluctant to return home.

HCR reported that they organized and supported the return to Kinama of some 50 IDPs (out of a total of 130) who had reached their transit centre in Cibitoke province following the outbreak of the crisis.

Follow-Up and Monitoring of the Return Process

A general agreement on the need to carefully monitor the IDPs’ return process was reconfirmed. The establishment of a specific joint GOB-UN-NGO Follow-Up Committee had been proposed and accepted by all participants last week. The team has already conducted three field visits and will continue to follow-up the return process on a daily basis. A preliminary draft report should be finalized tomorrow.

Effects of Displacement to Neighbour Provinces

The minister of Human Rights suggested close contacts between the humanitarian community and provincial and local bodies to motivate the return of Kinama residents that fled to Bujumbura Rural.

The Provincial Medical Officer for Bujumbura Rural reported that 3,874 IDPs from Bujumbura Mairie have found shelter with relatives or friends in Maramvya Commune; about 200 of them, however, are staying at the local health centre, which is causing some concern, particularly in terms of the water and sanitation conditions. IRC announced that they are about to send an assessment mission to evaluate the situation.

GOB representatives stressed that no food or NFI distributions should take place in these sites, as they would discourage people from returning and encourage further displacements out of town.

A follow-up meeting will be held on March 22, 2001 at 9 AM

N.B. Following suggestions from the Minister for Human Rights, a meeting to discuss in depth issues affecting the possible distributions of food and NFI has been convened by OCHA for tomorrow (20 March). Participants should include representatives from the Mairie, the Ministry of 3Rs, the Ministry of Defence, WFP, CRS and IFRC.

Attendance

Minister of Human Rights, UN Humanitarian Coordinator, representatives of the Mayor of Bujumbura Mairie, and the Ministries of Defence, Health and 3R, the health officials responsible for Bujumbura Mairie and Bujumbura Rural, ICRC, IFRC, CRS, IRC, JRS, Memisa, SCF, MSF, Caritas, CARE, OCHA, UNHCR, WHO, OFDA/USAID, ECHO.