Due to unrest in the country, thousands of Burundians have fled across the border to Tanzania. Médecins Sans Frontières is assisting tens of thousands of these refugees in the Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli refugee camps.
Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1962, Burundi’s people have been plagued by civil war. Tensions still exist between the Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority.
Response to Civil Unrest
MSF started activities in 2015 during civil unrest which occurred around the time of the presidential elections. Violence has since decreased, but it still flares up, and is exacerbated by poverty.
Rife political tensions and economic difficulties have heavily impacted the local population. MSF clinical teams conduct consultations, provide mental health assistance, admit individuals for care, and perform surgery. The team has also helped improve the local blood bank, as well as trained Burundian medical staff in providing adequate obstetric care.
Since 2017, MSF has continued to provide high-quality care, free of charge, to victims of trauma in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura.
MSF has also launched a response to an ongoing malaria epidemic in Gitega province. Teams are involved in supporting local health facilities through case management and treatment of malaria, as well as running health promotion activities to improve infection and control measures.