* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Rains in East Africa have started, making life difficult for 110,000 Burundian refugees in the Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania
The rains in East Africa have started and many parts of the region are experiencing flash floods. Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, the third largest refugee camp in the world, is home to 110,000 Burundian refugees. People fled to Tanzania when conflict started in Burundi in April and approximately 250 refugees are arriving daily in Nyarugusu.
Conditions, are extremely hazardous, particularly now that the rains have started. Toilets in the camps have flooded, creating a potential disease hazard. Many of the new refugees are living in tents which regularly flood and parents are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their children clean because they have no soap.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) runs three Child Friendly Spaces in Nyarugusu. They are a safe haven for all refugee children, including unaccompanied minors, children with disabilities. They are able to play and have fun and have access to counselling services and support.
Some parents recently spoke to IRC staff about their concerns and the impact the rains are having on their daily lives:
Andrew Philippe has five children aged from 1 to 12 year old. He has been living in Nyarugusu since May this year. He is also an IRC incentive staff member at the Child Friendly Space.
“There is so much mud that the children can’t play games. They have to go back home because there is no place in the in the Child Friendly Space for them to settle and do activities during the rain. There is so much so much mud and water everywhere. Children get wet, they tremble because they are cold. They have no clothes to wear when it rains. They need shoes. They come to play barefoot, which is very harmful. They could hurt themselves while playing because they don’t have shoes. There is also the risk of worms because they are also going to the toilet barefoot. This is extremely risky.”
He continues, “Life is bad during the rainy season, so very bad. Water comes into our homes. Shelter is not sufficient and there is not enough shelter. Since we have few clothes, we become cold and some diseases can affect us, like pneumonia, flu and headaches.”
Nzaniye Frediana, 40, is mum to three children aged one to eight. They have been in Nyarugusu since May this year.
“My children come home dirty. The tent I live in is very small and when it rains, water comes inside," she said. "When my children come home, they have mud on their feet and clothes and bring the mud inside the tent. I am forced to wash them but I don’t have enough soap. I don’t send them to the child friendly space when it rains because they could get diseases like pneumonia."
Sophia Jones is the Regional Media/Information Manager (Horn and East Africa) for the International Rescue Committee
