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UN World Food Programme food economy assessment missions conducted in December 2001 have shown that while food security in Burundi has improved, drought poses a significant risk.
In a report released in December, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Burundi states that drought is a risk particularly in the Imbo area, covering parts of the provinces of Bujumbura Rural, Bubanza and Citiboke.
Preliminary evaluations of the incoming harvest indicate that yields have increased by 5 percent compared with the same period in 2001, with the exception of the provinces of Rutana and Cankuzo where a 1-percent drop has been recorded.
A significant increase in malaria infection rates has also been recorded in the northern and central provinces of Gitega, Karuzi, Kayanza and Ngozi, OCHA reports. Nongovernmental organisations providing health programmes in the affected areas have asked the World Health Organisation and the Burundi Ministry of Health to provide a detailed analysis of the current situation, to assist them in contingency planning measures.
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