Stressed food insecurity (IPC Phase 2) likely to persist for poor households due to unrest

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Despite improved food availability during the Season B harvest period, food security remains Stressed (IPC Phase 2) in areas where ongoing civil unrest and insecurity have disrupted agricultural activities, reducing harvests and labor opportunities for poor households, particularly in Kirundo, Makamba, and Muyinga provinces.
Despite persistent political instability, staple food prices in September either remained stable or increased only slightly compared to the previous month due to a near-average Season B harvest and ongoing humanitarian assistance. In addition, Season C harvests are expected to improve cereal supply. However, prices remain 39 to 95 percent above the recent five-year average, particularly in Muyinga and Bujumbura.
A good start to seasonal rains and forecasts for above-average October to December rainfall suggest favorable conditions for Season A crop production. However, ongoing political instability and civil insecurity will likely disrupt Season A planting and input provision in some areas, which typically begins in October.
Persistent insecurity continues to cause migration from Burundi. As of mid-September, UNHCR estimates about 193,000 Burundians are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. In addition, more than 100,000 people (residents, refugees and returnees) continue to rely on humanitarian assistance to meet their essential food and non-food needs.
WFP and the Red Cross delivered a second round of general food distributions in August targeting 100,000 people (residents, refugees, and returnees) in Kirundo, Makamba, and Bujumbura Marie provinces with 1,160 metric tons of food. Residents, refugees, and returnees in these areas continue to rely on humanitarian assistance to meet food and nonfood needs. According to WFP, current funding shortfalls will affect humanitarian operations starting in November.

For more detailed analysis, see the Burundi Remote Monitoring Report for August 2015.

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In remote monitoring, a coordinator typically works from a nearby regional office. Relying on partners for data, the coordinator uses scenario development to conduct analysis and produce monthly reports. As less data may be available, remote monitoring reports may have less detail than those from countries with FEWS NET offices. Learn more about our work here.