On 28 March 2018 the second Tripartite Commission Meeting was held in Bujumbura, Burundi. UNHCR continues assisting returns of Burundian refugees from Tanzania who are voluntarily choosing to go to their areas of origin.

On 30 June, a first case of Ebola was confirmed in Ariwara, Aru Territory, DRC. In order to strengthen preventive measures to contain the virus, UNHCR and its partners conducted four mass sensitization sessions in Biringi, Aru and Aba targeting refugees and host community members.

One of our anti-SGBV Initiatives is the MADE51. This artisan initiative allows refugee artisans, many of them women at risk of SGBV, to receive expert product development support and access to international marketing channels and sustainable livelihoods.

Protection staff from UNHCR had a meeting with the District Commissioner and immigration authorities in Ngara District following reports of some ad hoc screening activities conducted by the immigration officers at border posts in the district where some asylum-seekers were reportedly facing challenges in gaining entry into Tanzania. The implications and serious concerns were shared with UNHCR in Dar es Salaam. UNHCR then sent a formal communication to the Tanzanian Ministry of Home Affairs in Dar es Salaam for clarification and to find a solution.

Since 2014, UNHCR, in partnership with Safe from the Start, an anti-SGBV initiative supported by the US Government, has developed 15 new projects to reduce the risk of SGBV through access to cooking energy and the creation of livelihood opportunities for refugee women.

Since the start of the voluntary repatriation exercise in September 2017, a total of 63,143 individuals have been assisted to return to Burundi from Tanzania as of 31 March 2019. Of those who have registered for return, 7,760 individuals are currently awaiting departure after having had their intention to voluntarily return verified.

Some 411 Burundians registered for training on business skills and access to finance launched by INKOMOKO Business Development for the 2019 cohort programme. The programme aims at bolstering the capacities of refugees to run businesses and contribute economically to the communities where they are integrated.

Support scheme in Rwandan capital and elsewhere sees refugee businesses including Burundian-owned LPG store create 2,600 new jobs countrywide.

Talented refugee models who met with UNHCR High Profile Supporter, Helena Christensen, in October 2018 grace Vogue Magazine.

The Burundi Situation needs urgent funding, as the total amount of contributions amounts to 1% of the overall needs. There are significant needs in refugee settlements, as the overall refugee population has grown to over 400,000, with new arrivals coming on a daily basis.