Humanitarian Response

Since May 2015, Oxfam has been participating in addressing humanitarian needs of the influx of Burundian refugees that have been crossing into Tanzania due to pre and post presidential election violence that erupted in Burundi towards late April 2015. Despite on-going regional efforts to a peaceful solution and thus a return of stability for the country, the humanitarian crisis is still not yet over as the camps of Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli, in Kigoma district, continue to host over 250,000 Burundian refugees in addition to over 70,000 (mostly Congolese refugees) also settled in Nyarugusu camp.

Oxfam is the lead agency in the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion (WASH) services for the Burundian refugees in Nyarugusu and Nduta camps, providing direct humanitarian services to over 200,000 refugees (UNHCR registration statistics of 30th June 2017).

Emergency Food Security and Vulnerable Livelihoods (EFSVL) interventions are also being rolled out in both camps. Oxfam is also building water supply infrastructure and promoting food security and livelihoods activities for the host communities in Kumuhasha, Kitahana, Nyarugusu and Makere Villages.

Oxfam has endeavoured to build community based structures, such as WASH committees, and transferred skills to local NGOs and refugees that can enable them to sustain the services being delivered, ensure continued good health and help them recover from displacement related shocks while simultaneously building their existing capacities in mapping local resources and strategies to strengthen their resilience.