Burundian refugees arriving in Tanzania lasy year. (File photo)
The funding is summed now to a tune of
54.2bn/- after the preceding 29.8bn/- (Euro 12 million), which has
already been provided since the beginning of this year.
More than 260,000 people, over half of
whom are children, are estimated to have left Burundi since April 2015,
seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, including Tanzania. “The EU is
committed to support the Burundian people at these difficult times.
The humanitarian situation affecting
Burundians remains a cause of great concern. More than a quarter of a
million people have now fled their homes.” “The neighbouring countries’
hosting capabilities have been stretched to the limit, with the
situation in Tanzania especially worrying.
The additional EU funding will help get
essential aid to those in need and improve refugees’ living conditions,
notably in Tanzania,” said EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and
Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.
Tanzania has received the highest number
of Burundians so far (nearly 140,000) mostly to Nyarugusu refugee camp,
which has subsequently become one of the largest and most overcrowded
refugee camps in the world.
Even though additional camps have been
set up (Mtendeli and Nduta) to accommodate the continued influx, living
conditions in the camps need to improve. Risks of infections and
epidemics are high. Sheltering conditions also involve considerable
risks for the most vulnerable.
The EC has been supporting the Burundian
people since the beginning of the crisis. In total, EU humanitarian
assistance released to respond to the Burundi crisis amounts to Euro
36.2 million since May 2015.
But the EU announced in March this year
that it would suspend direct financial aid to the government in Burundi
as the political situation shows little sign of improving. Analysts have
immediately referred the EU latest decision to have been fuelled by new
developments for Burundi talks -- currently chaired by Retired
President Benjamin Mkapa.
The small East African nation has been
in crisis since last April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced
he would be standing for another term. His refusal to relinquish power
sparked clashes between the public and police, as well as a failed
military coup. In total, the violence has claimed around 400 lives and
forced more than 240,000 people to flee.
Mr Mkapa hosted a wide range of
participants from the government of Burundi last week in Arusha. The
delegates included the National Commission for Internal Dialogue, civil
society organisations, women, youth, religious groups and the Federal
Chamber of Commerce.
Others were political parties allied
with the Government, political parties that participated in the
elections last year, political parties that did not participate in the
elections and other political actors.
The EU said in a statement that a
regional dialogue, as mandated by the EAC heads of State, is the only
way forward to peacefully resolving the Burundi crisis.
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