A joint UN assessment mission to the drought-hit province of Kirundo in northern Burundi has warned of “widespread famine” and population movements towards neighbouring Rwanda in search of work and food. According to a mission report, the death toll in the “collines” [hills] of the province is on the rise and children are dropping out of school due to lack of food. The overall situation was described as “miserable”. The mission was undertaken following an appeal by the Burundi government to help affected people in the north and avoid an ecological disaster. The report noted that there had been persistent drought in the area for almost four years, and this had had a dramatic effect on the population.
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