Burundi

The plight of the population in Burundi remains severe: widespread poverty, political tensions, and increasingly frequent climate-related crises are forcing many families to flee or become displaced.

Political unrest and widespread poverty

Burundi continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis. The country is among the poorest in the world. Political tensions, the aftermath of past conflicts, an economy heavily dependent on small-scale subsistence agriculture, weak infrastructure, and frequent climate-related natural disasters (floods and droughts) significantly hinder economic development. These challenges are compounded by high inflation and shortages of essential supplies such as fuel, water, and electricity.

As a result of these overlapping crises, a very large proportion of the population lives in extreme poverty and faces food insecurity. The healthcare system is chronically underfunded and unable to provide adequate and comprehensive services to the population, particularly in rural areas.

In numbers: The situation in Burundi

Over two million people are dependent on humanitarian aid
Since 2015, more than 500.000 people have fled Burundi; between 250,000 and 300,000 refugees continue to live in neighboring countries
More than one in two children under the age of five suffers from chronic malnutrition; tens of thousands are affected by severe acute malnutrition
Over 80% of the population lives below the international poverty line (USD 2.15 per day, PPP)

Emergency aid for Burundian refugees and internally displaced persons

Since the political escalation in Burundi and the resulting refugee movements, action medeor has been working with local partners to support both the refugees and the host communities. The comprehensive relief measures include activities to improve hygiene, health and nutrition to alleviate the greatest needs of the people. action medeor is also on hand in disaster situations to provide emergency aid tailored to the respective needs, such as the distribution of relief supplies following severe flooding in spring 2024.

In addition to these aid projects, which are carried out together with local partner organizations, action medeor regularly supplies healthcare facilities and hospitals in the country with relief supplies from the action medeor medicine warehouse in Tanzania.

"Thanks to our many years of work, we can adapt aid measures flexibly and quickly to current needs - this is particularly important in acute disasters. But we also keep an eye on long-term projects. The most important thing is that our aid continues!"

Emmanuel Limi
responsible for the projects in the DR Congo and Burundi

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