This August 19, 2022, Burundi joined the humanitarian community to celebrate the World Humanitarian Day. The ceremonies took place at the United Nations Information Center in Bujumbura. This thirteenth edition of the day comes at a time when the humanitarian community, both in Burundi and elsewhere, is facing various challenges such as climate emergencies, pandemics and increasing poverty to name a few. All these factors contribute to the increase in the number of people in need.
According to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs, there are currently over 303 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
In Burundi, the humanitarian community is working closely with the government to assist the most vulnerable, but more needs to be done. In Burundi’s 2022 humanitarian response plan, which is estimated at US$182 millions, only 13.5% of the required amount has been made available.
The United Nations Office in Burundi, in addition to expressing its sincere appreciation to the various donors, also encourages them to redouble their efforts to enable humanitarians to reach all those targeted for assistance in Burundi.
In his speech, the UN Secretary General praised the commendable work done by humanitarians who work tirelessly to “make our planet a better place ». And the Acting Resident Coordinator, Richmond Tiemoko, added that such a day is a sign of hope for the beneficiaries of humanitarian aid who are regaining hope.
