UN agencies seek US $107.86 million for 2002

The UN Country Team in Burundi and its partners seek US $107.86 million to implement humanitarian and rehabilitation programmes presented in the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 2002, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday.

"We must and will ensure that specific attention is given to those who remain most vulnerable after the past years of conflict," Georg Chapentier, UN Hunamitarian Coordinator in Burundi, said on Tuesday

The appeal forms part of a larger request on Monday by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for $2.5 billion for 33 million people "in desperate need" around the world.

In Burundi, one million people depend on humanitarian aid and the UN Country Team and its partners are to embark on a two-pronged strategy to help them. One strategy is to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches all vulnerable groups. The other is the promotion of the peace process through public awareness activities.

While past donor response has enabled the humanitarian community to engage in priority and life-saving concerns, OCHA reported, "resources to bridge the gap between humanitarian assistance and sustainable socio-economic development, such as preventative health care and peace education programmes, are much needed."

War and the lack of maintenance have led to the substantial deterioration of health infrastructure, water and sanitation services, OCHA said. Just 52 percent of the population has access to potable water and only 47 percent to latrines. Infant mortality, OCHA said, averages 136 deaths per 1,000 live births.

However, OCHA said, the plight of 432,000 Burundians in internal displacement sites "dominate the humanitarian agenda". Help is also needed for 200,000 IDPs surviving under ad-hoc arrangements. More than 380,000 have sought refuge in Tanzania and now, OCHA said, "the humanitarian community needs to be prepared as the unpredictability of the overall situation could trigger large-scale repatriation."

See full report on http://www.reliefweb.int/appeals/2002/files/bur02.pdf