The total number of refugees escaping violence in troubled Burundi has reached 239,754, whereas the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are now estimated to be 25,081, latest information from Makamba, Kirundo, and Rutana refugee camps has indicated.
According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), new patterns of human rights violations have also emerged, including cases of sexual violence, increased enforced disappearances and torture.
Since April 2015, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has reported 439 killings, 262 arbitrary arrests, and 263 cases of torture/ill-treatment.
Last April Burundi was thrown into a cycle of violence after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he was standing for a third term, triggering off street protests that have almost brought the tiny Central African state to the brink of collapse.
Meanwhile, as of mid-January 2016, heavy rains and floods have continued to affect various parts of the country, resulting in 5,068 houses damaged/destroyed and affecting 30,408 persons.
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated US$13 million for life-saving activities, prioritizing protection, health and food security and nutrition.
