Agriculture, health main target sectors of UN funds appeal

Agriculture and health are the two sectors that would receive most of the US $71.1 million that the UN and NGO partners are requesting for Burundi in their Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) for 2004. While acknowledging that Burundians live in some of the worst conditions in the world, the UN, which launched the appeal globally on Tuesday in New York, said it had identified food security, protection, access to basic services and emergency response as the means "to provide life-sustaining humanitarian assistance to the Burundian people". The country's CAP appeal is due to be launched in Bujumbura, Burundi, in December. The UN said that of the funding requirements for Burundi during 2004, $26.3 million would be required for health and $11.9 million for agriculture. Education would require $7.4 million, multisector requirements $6.7 million and protection, human rights and the rule of law would require $5.8 million. Some $5.8 million would be required for water and sanitation. The CAP appeal for Burundi, which ranked 171 of 175 nations in the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index for 2003, is also aimed at supporting the Arusha peace process and to prepare for recovery and rebuilding, following recent political developments in the country. However, the UN said that while political progress had recently been made by a ceasefire agreement with three of the four rebel groups in the country, "the humanitarian situation deteriorated in 2003". "During most of the year, about 100,00 people were forced to flee their homes monthly, often at a moment's notice, when fighting plunged their communities into fear," the UN reported. The decade-long civil war in Burundi has resulted in the deaths of at least 300,000 people, mostly civilians. "Life expectancy plummeted to 41 years by 2001, from 54 in 1992," the UN said. According to UN, "too many Burundians suffer the trauma of forced displacement, ensuing violence and destitution". It said some 281,000 Burundian internally displaced people (IDPs) lived in 230 "sites" across the country while another 789,000 Burundians lived in Tanzanian refugee camps, villages and communities. The other sectors targeted for funding in 2004 include family shelter and non-food items - $3 million; coordination and support services - $3 million; and security - $1.07 million. [The full text of the CAP Appeal for Burundi is available online at: www.un.org]