To respond to the shelter and NFI needs of communities affected by various humanitarian crises impacting the country, IOM will provide emergency assistance to IDPs in displacement sites and outside the camps, as well as to Burundian returnees and refugees from neighbouring countries. In this regard, the activities will include but are not limited to:

• Provision of safe and dignified shelter solutions (including emergency shelters, semi-permanent shelters and shelter repair kits) to the targeted households. Priority will be given to those with specific needs for assistance. Depending on the context, the assistance will be either in-kind or in cash. This activity will aim to improve the safety, privacy, and dignity of the living conditions of people targeted. Items for NFI and shelter in-kind assistance will be procured both nationally and internationally The content of the kits will be in line with the shelter/NFI sector’s recommendations in the country;
• Provision of rental support for households affected by disasters;
• Implementation of communication with communities (CwC) activities: S-NFI assistance will be complemented by sensitizations upon the kit distributions;
• Provision of support for access to basic household items, through cash-based interventions and in-kind support on a case-by-case basis;
• Provision of emergency assistance to vulnerable families living in critical or substandard shelters in informal sites and areas of return, through in-kind or emergency cash assistance.

IOM will provide camp management support to the Government of Burundi in the Gatumba sites, as well as along the southern coastal region of Rumonge and Makamba. Activities will include:

• Improvement of living conditions in camps through site maintenance and critical upgrades;
• Implementation of site risk reduction interventions, with a focus on safeguarding the protection of camp populations;
• Promotion of community participation and maintenance of community engagement mechanisms to ensure accountability to affected populations in the camps;
• Coordination of all actors in sites for improved access to quality services;
• Capacity-building of government actors on CCCM and promotion of well-planned and dignified camp consolidation and closure processes, and respect for IDPs' right of movement.

IOM will work closely with government counterparts, civil society and key health partners to strengthen the capacity of relevant mental health and psychosocial service providers serving vulnerable migrants and crisis-affected populations. Activities will include direct MHPSS through individual and group counselling, psychoeducation, and clinical psychological consultations provided by IOM’s mobile team of psychologists, such as:

• Training of community health workers (CHWs), nurses, and medical doctors in MHPSS, more precisely in psychological first aid (PFA), active listening and referral systems;
• Facilitation of local technical meetings at health district level for a better coordination of those intervening;
• Participation in the facilitation of MHPSS-coordination meetings at the national level;
• Creation and training of community groups made up of returnees, IDPs, community leaders and host community members on basic MHPSS, empathetic and active listening skills, PFA and MHPSS referrals;
• Provision of psychosocial support for returnees, their families and vulnerable host communities in situations of psychological distress;
• Provision of individual psychosocial support and counselling for persons that do not find a solution to their issues through peer support groups;
• Referral of people with mental disorders to existing psychosocial services and health facilities;
• Creation of and building the capacities of psychosocial support groups;
• Training of nurses stationed at PoEs located in targeted provinces on PFA and MHPSS in the context of diseases with epidemic potential;
• Provision of basic equipment (such as skipping ropes, reading books and comics, modelling clay, etc.) to improve PoEs’ capacity to provide MHPSS to travellers testing positive for COVID-19.

IOM supports returnees in facilitating their reintegration back into their areas of origin, as well as host communities. Returnees usually face several barriers to safe and dignified living conditions, including destroyed or damaged housing and lack of basic services, such as safe water and sanitation facilities. These challenges also apply to IDPs living in precarious situations. IOM aims to reduce the risk of water-borne diseases by improving access to safe water, improved sanitation facilities and improved hygiene behaviours in accordance with the Sphere standards through the following activities:

• Provision of hygiene kits including household water treatment products and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) items for girls and women of reproductive age, for which the composition will be in line with national recommendations;
• Provision of dignified sanitation solutions to IDPs and Burundian returning refugees/returnees through the construction of ecological or ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines equipped with hand-washing systems. This activity is complementary to the provision of shelters;
• Promotion of improved hygiene practices among the supported households and communities through targeted sensitizations on topics such as hand washing, environmental cleaning, latrine maintenance, safe chain for drinking water collection, and storage.

IOM Burundi’s protection programmes seek to contribute to upholding the rights of migrants, displaced persons, returnees and affected populations, both in camps and out of camp locations through:

• Provision of specialized case management services at the individual and household levels;
• Awareness-raising on trafficking in persons (TiP) in humanitarian contexts among at-risk communities and frontline service providers;
• Community engagement and sensitization in camp and out of camp locations.
• Implementation of a robust approach to preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA);
• Establishment of safe areas/tents for at-risk/vulnerable child and women;
• Mainstream protection in all of IOM’s interventions through the training of staff on protection principles, adapting interventions to better include the needs of vulnerable groups.

All activities will be conducted in consultation and collaboration with communities, IOM Burundi will ensure meaningful participation of vulnerable groups especially women and girls, children, persons with disabilities, or any other group that might be more vulnerable.

IOM Burundi’s support intends to address the impact of crises resulting in the displacement of people by strengthening the capacity of Burundi’s health system to address the health consequences of the crises. The most affected zones (health facilities, health districts, and health provinces) will be mapped and supported with trainings and material to deliver essential emergency health services. Health districts experiencing crises, floods, or epidemics will be supported to strengthen the community surveillance of diseases with epidemic potential. Early detection and response mechanisms will be strengthened by training community health workers and providing information and communication technology (ICT) material to delocalize emergency operators in cross-border health districts. IOM will also support cross-border coordination mechanisms between Burundi and its bordering countries for timely information-sharing on public health threats. Activities will include:

• Establishment of ten emergency operation centres in provinces along the border with logistical support for early detection and response to diseases posing a threat to public health;
• Establishment of cross-border public health emergency management committees with neighbouring countries;
• Organization of cross-border public health coordination meetings with neighbouring countries;
• Establishment of a permanent consultation framework with neighbouring countries’ health authorities to facilitate exchange of epidemiological information and ensure rapid response in the event of an outbreak;
• Organization of two trainings on cross-border disease surveillance for health workers from cross-border localities, including health care providers from Burundi and its neighbouring countries;
• Conducting baseline assessments and mapping exercises at the cross-border locality level, including points of entry. Geo-referenced data on health facilities, schools, markets, entry points, other public infrastructure, and other relevant information on current capacity will be collected and analysed according to indicators agreed upon by the government and other partners to establish health vulnerabilities and priority public health interventions in these areas, tailored to epidemic-prone diseases;
• Conducting of internal and external mobility mapping using the population mobility mapping (PMM) methodology in order to identify population movement corridors, gathering sites, and so on. This strategy will be carried out with three sub-activities: participatory mapping exercises, site evaluations, and flow monitoring. Information obtained through these activities will be used to identify priority communities and locations that may be vulnerable to public health risks.
• Conducting of a comprehensive study of the link between disasters and public health threats to identify public health risks in targeted provinces. Findings and recommendations will be shared through a detailed report to inform future public health programming;
• Rehabilitation of PoEs to comply with infection prevention and control (IPC) standards and limit disease transmission at PoEs, alongside provision of monthly basic equipment to PoEs to meet IPC standards;
• Training on disease surveillance and provision of equipment for CHWs from cross-border health districts targeted by community event-based surveillance (CEBS);
• Provision of support to 100 health district representatives to provide monthly training supervision to the community health workers (CHWs);
• Provision of necessary logistical support to health districts to conduct regular supervision of the CHWs, and investigate and manage suspected cases of diseases with epidemic potential;
• Coordination of the transfer of suspected cases of disease with epidemic potential identified in the communities to health facilities by health officials with the support of community leaders.

IOM will provide assistance to returnees and host communities for peaceful and sustainable refugee returns and reintegration, including the provision of short-term job opportunities, livelihood support, vocational trainings and capacity-building with the aim of increasing communities’ socioeconomic state , and strengthening social cohesion within communities of return. Activities will include:

• Strengthening government capacities to perform core functions;
• Increasing confidence in public institutions through measures to improve community safety, access to civil documentation, housing, and other needs;
• Capacitating state and local governance, and promoting non-violent political processes and social policy development;
• Strengthening the capacities of relevant local actors in conflict prevention, mediation and peaceful resolution, including the establishment or support of communal monitoring committees for the consolidation of peace. Local actors include local leaders, civil society and youth, local law enforcement, and other stakeholders;
• Promoting social cohesion and empowering communities to manage local conflicts and promote a culture of peace.
• Implementing sensitization activities on conflict resolution and peaceful cohabitation in communities with large numbers of returnees and IDPs;
• Increasing access to public infrastructure for returnees, IDPs and vulnerable host community members through community-based rehabilitation and reconstruction;
• Increasing access to livelihoods through cash-for-work and vocational trainings, with particular emphasis on vulnerable persons such as women heads of households. In order to facilitate the participation of women, vocational trainings will be held in child-friendly classrooms.

Improved security conditions have contributed to the voluntary return of a considerable number of Burundian refugees from neighbouring countries to their communities of origin. However, most areas of return are characterized by a lack of resources and employment opportunities, making reintegration and the achievement of durable solutions a challenge. IOM will contribute to addressing the main barriers to safe and sustainable returns and support IDPs and returnees in achieving durable solutions, through:

• Improvement of access to safe, dignified and sustainable housing;
• Facilitation of access to services, through the rehabilitation of key community infrastructure, including roads, markets, electricity grids and water networks, public buildings, health centres, schools or any other project benefiting both the community and helping to resume economic activity;
• Increase of sustainable livelihood opportunities, including through vocational and business trainings, and support to businesses that were successful before the conflict and those showing potential for job creation;
• Provision of appropriate, safe and durable sanitation solutions through the construction of ecological family latrines equipped with hand washing systems.

One of the most pertinent factors of conflict in Burundi is land ownership. This is especially the case in areas of return where scarce land resources have to be competed for. The Burundian context regarding access to land is particularly disadvantageous for women. Single women heads of household are especially vulnerable, as Burundian law recognizes only patrilineal land succession. IOM will support access of vulnerable populations to housing, land, and property through different activities, including:

• Strengthening access to land for returnees, displaced populations, and host communities;
• Awareness-raising for returnees, displaced populations, and host communities on their rights to land, and the reinforcement of administrative land structures;
• Strengthening of the government’s communal land services (agency in charge of issuing land certificates) in their capacity to communicate on land rights and access to land, and mapping and validating land titles;
• Increasing the level of data and information collected on housing, land and property in Burundi;
• Strengthening the capacities of the Government of Burundi and local authorities at the national, provincial and communal levels to coordinate and manage land access; 
• Improvement of access to land and reinforcement of tenure security through initiatives at the local community level;
• Digitalization of land certificate registration at the central and local levels.

IOM works with the Government of Burundi to identify, assess and reduce the risk of disasters, thereby reducing the associated socioeconomic vulnerabilities as well as dealing with environmental and other hazards that trigger them. Through its disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management programme, IOM aims to support the Government of Burundi to reduce risks of, as well as strengthening preparedness for and response to, potential disasters by:  

• Supporting the implementation of community-based disaster risk management;
• Developing a DRR policy and strategy for the Government of Burundi;
• Implementing disaster mitigation activities in the most at-risk areas based on the results of the current multi-hazard risk assessment and mapping exercise;
• Developing early warning systems;
• Promoting resilient livelihoods.

IOM will support the Government of Burundi, including national and local authorities, civil society organizations, and community leaders through trainings and technical assistance to better equip them to develop emergency preparedness and response plans to face future displacements, whether due to conflicts or disasters. Activities will include:

• Mapping of risk zones prone to landslides, floods, and so on;
• Propositioning of shelter, essential NFIs and WASH kits (hygiene and sanitary kits);
• Tracking and information management for more effective preparedness coordination;
• Supporting logistics and warehousing;
• Site planning and emergency coordination with national and international actors.

IOM will support the Government of Burundi to prepare to face and respond to a range of public health threats, especially diseases with epidemic potential (such as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and COVID-19) as quickly as possible in the areas most prone to disasters such as floods, through the following activities:

• Supporting health districts to develop contingency plans to respond to public health threats;
• Conducting advanced emergency management training, including cross-border emergency response simulation exercises with border countries for health workers and other first responders;
• Organizing trainings for health workers to respond to the health consequences of disasters;
• Providing equipment to health facilities to strengthen their capacity to respond quickly to public health threats resulting from disasters;
• Rehabilitating primary health-care facilities in anticipation of and preparation for future hazards.

IOM will work closely with government counterparts, civil society and key health partners to strengthen the capacity of relevant mental health and psychosocial service providers serving vulnerable migrants and crisis-affected populations. Activities will include:

• Facilitation of a supervision mission for central-level officials to evaluate the progress of integrating mental health in Burundi’s healthcare system;
• Implementation of training and refresher trainings for nurses and general medical practitioners on mental health issues and on how to recognize and address them;
• Purchasing and provision of equipment (such as skipping ropes, reading books and comics, modelling clay, etc.) for health facilities to improve their capacity to provide support to people with mental health conditions;
• Support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to develop the protocols and guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.

The Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) is a comprehensive IOM tool used to collect, process and disseminate regular information to provide a better understanding of the movements and needs of affected populations to enable government authorities and humanitarian partners to plan, facilitate, orient and improve the assistance provided to the affected populations. This is done through mobility tracking, flow monitoring, registration and the implementation of surveys. DTM activities implemented in Burundi will include:

• Tracking of IDP and returnee locations, assessment of their intentions and barriers to return, provision of an overview on the severity of conditions in return areas, and provision of information for recovery and crisis prevention programming;
• Activation of emergency tracking, providing timely data on the number of individuals displaced due to an emergency.