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                      Burundians Continue to Flee Country

   by Joe DeCapua

   The U.N. refugee agency said thousands of Burundians continue to flee
   political instability and violence. About 10-thousand refugees crossed
   into neighboring countries over the weekend before the government
   closed the borders prior to parliamentary elections.

   It's now estimated that at least 144,000 refugees have fled Burundi
   since the beginning of April. That's when violence erupted after
   President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term.

   UNHCR spokesperson Karin de Gruijl said most of those who fled over the
   weekend went to Tanzania and Rwanda. Closing the border crossings
   Sunday did not stop the exodus.

   "Refugees are still leaving the country. They're using now informal
   border crossings - basically paths through the bush. They find their
   way into Rwanda and Tanzania and come then to our offices or our
   presence near the border to register themselves as refugees. And from
   there we take them to the camp(s) in the three countries: Tanzania,
   Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," she said.

   While 144,000 thousand have been registered as refugees, many others
   have not. They've entered neighboring countries without being counted
   by aid agencies.

   De Gruijl said, "There are also people who are going on their own,
   especially people going to cities or bigger towns, and have their own
   resources and do not necessarily register as refugees. So, we do think
   that the number might be higher."

   More than 66,000 Burundian refugees are in Tanzania; well over 56,000
   in Rwanda; about 11,500 in the DRC; more than 9,000 in Uganda and just
   400 in Zambia.

   The UNHCR spokesperson said some were mistreated on their journey.

   "There are different reports of harassment. People are also reporting
   that it's becoming more and more difficult for them to leave the
   country. Not only because borders are closed, obviously, which makes
   things more difficult, but there are also roadblocks where militias and
   others are trying to take away their belongings. So, people are
   actually trying to leave the country, more or less secretly, taking as
   little luggage as they can and going through the bush."

   In the beginning, most of the refugees were women and children. Now,
   there's a growing number of men. De Gruijl said many may be joining
   their families already in camps.

   "We have been setting up camps or we have been moving people to
   existing refugee camps in most of the countries with the exception of
   Zambia at the moment because the numbers are very, very small."

   Overcrowding is becoming a problem at the Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania.
   It was already home to 50,000 Congolese refugees. They're now joined by
   60,000 Burundians. An alternative site is being sought.

   The UNHCR is working with 17 other aid agencies to help the refugees,
   but funding is a problem. The agency has appealed for $207 million
   dollars for the Burundi crisis, but has received only 13 percent of the
   amount, so far.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/burundi-refugees-30jun15/2843074.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/burundi-refugees-30jun15/2843074.html