wfn.org | [ACNS] Crisis Message - Episcopal Church of Burundi

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3932     |     BURUNDI	|     14 JANUARY 2005

Crisis in Northern Burundi

A Message from the Episcopal Church of Burundi

As the world rightly responds to the loss of life and devastation caused
by the tsunami that hit south-east Asia, Burundi is having to deal with
another crisis of its own that is claiming lives every day.

The province of Kirundo is situated in the north of Burundi and is an
area of great natural beauty, with lakes, hills and valleys. The fertile
land produced beans and sorghum for the whole country. However, that
beauty and productivity is marred at the present time by drought, with
valley floors dried up and subject to fires, and vegetation
disappearing.

For the last three years the rains have either been insufficient, or
have come at the wrong time for crops to be planted, to grow, or to be
harvested. This situation has resulted in food shortages across the
region. There are now few, if any, supplies of sweet potatoes and
cooking bananas. The problem has been compounded by the fact that the
cassava (manioc) plant became diseased resulting in a lack of flour and
vegetable cassava.

The situation is fast becoming an emergency as the neighbouring
provinces of Muyinga and Ngozi are also affected. Hunger is widespread
with deaths occurring on a daily basis. An increasing number of people
are now at risk. With large families to feed, they grow cassava and
beans and keep goats in order to provide for their families. With the
failure of the cassava crops, goats have had to be sold to raise a
little money in order to buy from those with produce to sell. Hope
diminishes for such people as the little they have disappears and they
become totally dependent on help from others. Children are suffering
from malnutrition. The most vulnerable are prone to disease especially
from unclean water fetched from the lakes in jerricans.

Life is particularly hard for those still living in camps for the
internally displaced due to the war. Many choose to remain in the camps
where there is a sense of security and where they are known, and where
they have a basic thatched shelter. Although some still possess a plot
of land, they have no means to return, or rebuild houses that have been
destroyed. They exist without electricity, or means of transport to get
to markets that are many hours' walk away, and have to rely on people or
relatives passing by to give them a kilo of flour or beans since the
climate has made cultivation impossible. The current crisis has left
many of them with nothing.

As awareness of the crisis has become known, help has begun to reach the
area, but responses have been slow and too late for some. Much more
assistance is urgently needed.

Pray that the Churches, Government, NGOs and other agencies will make
appropriate responses so that people receive basic food supplies and are
enabled to develop effective strategies for agriculture in the future.

For contact details of the Episcopal Church of Burundi, click here:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/province.cfm?ID=B2

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