TANZANIA / BURUNDI REFUGEES

One year since violence swept through Burundi, the UN refugee agency is struggling to fund assistance to more than 135 000 Burundian refugees in Tanzania. New arrivals say torture, disappearances, massacres of loved ones and neighbours and arrests on the border are rife. UNHCR

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:37
• Production Date: 21 April 2016
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR
• Subject Topical: REFUGEES
• Geographic Subject: BURUNDI
• MAMS Id: 1607842
• Parent Id: 1607842
• Alternate Title: unifeed160421k

Description

STORY: TANZANIA / BURUNDI REFUGEES
TRT: 01:37
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: KIRUNDI /ENGLISH /NATS

DATELINE: 10 - 16 APRIL 2016, NDUTA, TAZANIA

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, Burundian refugees exiting a bus in Tanzania
2. Wide shot, woman dragging a suitcase
3. Various shots, Manase and family outside their makeshift structure
4. Close up, Manase’s arm
5. SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Manase Gahungu, Burundian refugee:
“They would tie my arms tied behind my back and cut chunks of flesh out”.
6. Wide shot, refugees at a water station
7. Tracking shot, Suzana carrying water to her tent
8. Close up, Suzana’s hand
9. SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Suzana Misago, Burundian refugee:
“It was midday and the children had come from school. We went to the kitchen to prepare lunch and minutes later, some soldiers arrived and circled the plot and then came and killed my children and slit my husband's throat”
10. Med shot, Suzana and children outside her tent
11. Wide shot, Suzana and family in front of her tent
12. Various shots, IOM and UNHCR staff at Nduta camp with refugees
13. SOUNDBITE (Englilsh) Dost Yousafzai, UNHCR Representative in Kibondo, Tanzania:
”We need to pay attention to the hardship these refugees are facing in the camps in Tanzania. We cannot fail this caseload”
14. Wide shot, refugees in nearby Mtendeli refugee camp
15. Med shot, refugees carrying their belonging at Mtendeli camp

Storyline

One year since violence swept through Burundi, new arrivals to refugee camps in Tanzania recount the ongoing horrors of home.

Manase was arrested by pro-government forces that killed his three brothers.

SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Manase Gahungu, Burundian refugee:
“They would tie my arms tied behind my back and cut chunks of flesh out."

He eventually made it over the border, but tells of others being arrested or thrown in the river.

New arrivals join some 135,000 Burundian refugees already living in camps. They speak of torture, disappearances, massacres of loved ones and neighbours and arrest and detention on the border.

Suzana Misago watched anti-government militia in Burundi rip apart her family.

SOUNDBITE (Kirundi) Suzana Misago, Burundian refugee:
“It was midday and the children had come from school. We went to the kitchen to prepare lunch and minutes later, some soldiers arrived and circled the plot and then came and killed my children and slit my husband's throat.”

On average, 120 to 150 Burundians are arriving daily to Tanzania now, down from thousands at the start of the conflict.

But with only 38 percent of the funds needed to help Burundian refugees, UNHCR and partners are struggling to provide the lifesaving services to refugees in camps.

SOUNDBITE (Englilsh) Dost Yousafzai, UNHCR Representative in Kibondo, Tanzania:
”We need to pay attention to the hardship these refugees are facing in the camps in Tanzania. We cannot fail this caseload.”

Burundi was thrown into crisis in April last year, when President Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term which he consequently won in July 2015. To date, it has been reported that more than 400 people have been killed, more than 240,000 have fled the country and thousands more have been arrested and possibly subjected to human rights violations.