UNHCR funding appeal to support Burundian refugees

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched today in Geneva a funding appeal for USD 391 million to support approximately 430,000 Burundian refugees during 2018.
UNHCR’s Regional Coordinator for Burundi, Catherine Wiesner, told journalists at the United Nations that “low levels of humanitarian funding for this crisis remains a great concern. Burundian refugees last year only got 21 per cent of the required funds which made it the world’s least funded refugee response plans and our appeal being presented today to donors in Geneva aims to ensure that the needs of Burundi refugees are not overlooked and the situation does not become a forgotten crisis in a crowded landscape today”.
Since 2015, more than 400,000 refugees and asylum-seekers have fled the country, escaping human rights abuses and continued political insecurity.
Catherine Wiesner noted that “refugee numbers are expected to increase this year by approximately 50,000. The human rights situation inside Burundi remains worrying and unless the political tensions are truly resolved and the related socio-economic conditions improve, we do expect the outflow of Burundian refugees – mostly to neighbouring countries – to continue in 2018, even at a lower level”.
Tanzania is hosting the largest number of Burundians with 254,000 refugees, while others are in Rwanda (89,000) , the Democratic Republic of Congo (44,000) and Uganda (40,000).
Wiesner said “as the majority of refugees are living in camps, underfunding has impacted all areas of their lives – including food cuts, dilapidated shelters, overcrowded classrooms, and a very limited capacity to respond to protection issues like sexual and gender based violence.”
UNHCR reiterated its call to Burundi’s neighbours to continue to receive asylum-seekers at their borders and offer protection to those who need it and to never be forced to return to Burundi against their will.