Three humanitarian crises

A background brief from the UN-OCHA office in Burundi points out that the country is currently experiencing three humanitarian crises at once. “A dramatic increase in malnutrition rates, particularly in its northern provinces during recent months, due to consecutive poor harvests; an unprecedented malaria epidemic is affecting the whole country; and the situation has been further aggravated by the outbreak of heavy fighting in the northern outskirts of the capital Bujumbura between 24 February and the first 10 days of March causing the displacement of some 54,000 individuals,” the report said. It noted that relief agencies were trying to cope with the various crises, stressing that due to population displacements and insecurity, vaccination coverage rates were at their lowest in seven years.