UN appeals for US $69.7 million to help the needy

The United Nations in Burundi appealed on Tuesday for US $69.70 million to address the humanitarian needs of Burundians in 2003, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. "The country is at a critical juncture," It said. Despite the general mood of cautious optimism created by the Arusha Peace Agreement, it said, this did not imply an improvement of the overall humanitarian situation in the country. "We must, and will, ensure that specific attention is given to those who are most vulnerable," Malick Sene, the interim UN Humanitarian Coordinator, said on the occasion of the annual launch of the consolidated appeal, known as CAP. "Generous donor support is essential to ensure the creation of conducive conditions for a sustainable transition from humanitarian assistance to development assistance," he added. The appeal this year, he said, was an expression of concern for the people of Burundi: "Concern that failure to respond to Burundi’s humanitarian and where possible, development needs, will cause communities to lose hope, leaving them without the motivation, skills or physical stamina to work toward peace; "Concern that hundreds of thousands of Burundians who are refugees in neighboring countries or displaced in their own land will remain stranded for years to come, and; "Concern that a generation of children is emerging who, surrounded by violence, hunger and homelessness, will be driven by a desire for revenge rather than a vision of peace." Without significant international aid, he added, the prognosis for 2003 was bleak. Internal displacement affecting up to 100,000 people per month could continue, OCHA said, while rebel and military warfare would create further hardship and deepen vulnerabilities. It is in this spirit that the United Nations County Team, national and international NGOs and the wider humanitarian community in Burundi, are calling for increased support for the 2003 CAP, he said. "It is also an opportunity to reinforce the transitional institutions, judiciary, schools, health, water and sanitation services that provide for the well-being of all. It is an invitation to help build a future," he added.