* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Sitting on the ground talking with 11 year old Burundian refugee David, it's hard to remember that I'm in Tanzania. Before visiting I had associated Tanzania with the Serengeti or safari and not with refugees. However as I went north-west to the border with Burundi I came to Nyarugusu refugee camp.
Nyaragusu is one of the oldest refugee camps in the world, designed for approximately 50,000 people. But since April this number has more than doubled. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees it is now home to approximately 80,000 Burundian refugees, who have fled Burundi due to political unrest in the lead up to national elections. They have joined approximately 61,600 Congolese who have lived in Nyarugusu camp since 1996. So, the camp now hosts some 140,000 people.
60% of the Burundian refugees are children.
David tells me that he arrived in Nyarugusu camp two months ago with his family. With new arrivals every day, space to sleep is rapidly running out. David lives in a temporary mass shelter and houses between 300-500 people. As a result of overcrowding, he sleeps outside.
He is worried about keeping his possessions safe and what will happen when it rains. His sleeping mat is worn out, uncomfortable and it rips his already tattered clothing.
Stolen childhoods
Life is not easy for David and it's clear from how he speaks. He misses his friends and his school back in Burundi. He has found it hard to fit in and adapt to the food in the camp. He is unsure whether he will be able to continue his education. Sadly I cannot give him any guarantees.
On average Nyarugusu receives 300 to 500 people per day. A few weeks ago, the World Food Programme reported that 9,000 people had arrived in one day.
I spoke with some of the new arrivals. Their frustration was clear. For some this is their third time as a refugee. Many had young families and were concerned about safety, food, education, and their livelihoods.
Most Burundian refugees have arrived in Nyarugusu with only the clothes they are wearing. They immediately need food and water. They also need basic items like water cans, cooking pots, utensils, soap, blankets and sleeping mats.
Sadly there are not enough resources here to meet all their needs. Many international organisations supporting, the refugees in the camp don't have enough funding to scale up. In many areas there is simply not enough physical room for agencies to work. I hear a second refugee site is under discussion to relieve the pressure. However it will inevitably take time to set up and move people.
Due to funding shortfall, many of the critical needs to this crisis are unmet. The UN reports that its £207 million appeal for the entire regional crisis in May has only been 13 percent funded. This comes against a total number of 171,000 refugees across the region. Nyarugusu is a clear example where funding shortfall has contributed to an overstretched camp where thousands of refugees are living in squalid and deplorable conditions.
Since the start of the Burundian refugee crisis, World Vision has been providing child protection training courses in villages along the border between Tanzania and Burundi while providing food and healthcare support to people on the various refugee routes. Following the cholera outbreak, the charity has also been providing healthcare awareness campaigns on communicable diseases to villages who hosted passing Burundian refugees. World Vision is currently exploring ways of increasing its support to the affected refugees as well.
As Burundi holds elections today, most of the country’s neighbours will be expecting more refugees through their borders. In Tanzania, numbers could rise to as high as 150,000 or more, according to UNHCR. If this happens, the needs in Nyarugusu will significantly increase.
There needs to be a greater focus on finding a peaceful solution inside Burundi so that David, his family and other Burundians can eventually return home. In the mean time, more funding and support from the international community is needed for shelter, food and water, which in turn will ensure that more refugees are properly protected and kept in good health.
