On the eve of the celebration of World Civil Protection Day, 2022 edition; the Minister of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security Gervais Ndirakobuca issued a statement on the occasion of the celebration of this day, which will be celebrated on March 01, 2022 in Sororezo, commune Mukaza in Bujumbura City Hall. The theme chosen is: “Civil protection and management of internally displaced populations: The role of volunteers and the fight against pandemics”.

According to the Minister of the Interior, over the past decade, Burundi has recorded an increase in the number and intensity of the risks of natural disasters, the effects of which cause more than 90% of the population to be displaced internally.

For example, Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca indicated that the rise in the waters of Lake Tanganyika and the overflow of the waters of the Rusizi River caused the displacement of 44,222 people in 2020 and 35,727 people in 2021.

Thanks to financial support from the international organization for migration IOM, Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca said that 1,619 households renting houses that were destroyed by the effects of climate change were assisted to find homes elsewhere. According to him, the undecent life of internally displaced persons is of greater concern to the Government, which is making every effort to ensure the permanent settlement of these people in secure areas.

In view of the predominant role that Burundi Red Cross volunteers play in emergency management, other organizations are encouraged to set up teams responsible for risk prevention and disaster relief, underlined Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca.

To alleviate the suffering of communities affected by disasters, the Minister of the Interior called on partners to review the financing of the humanitarian response plan in Burundi, which did not exceed 48% in 2020 while that of 2021 is 36%. This state of affairs must attract the attention of government actors and that of development partners who must jointly develop palliative and alternative aspects, stressed Minister Ndirakobuca.