International Development: UN appeals for $132 million in aid for Burundi

United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organisations in Burundi have appealed for $132 million in humanitarian aid to assist vulnerable people this year.

Launching the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) in Burundi's north-western province of Cibitoke on Wednesday, Mahmoud Youssef, the special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Burundi, said the focus for the year would be solely on humanitarian concerns, unlike previous appeals that also included recovery from war and peace-building.

Eight UN agencies, 13 international organisations and four local NGOs participated in the 2007 appeal. The CAP is a UN-led initiative aimed at coordinating and streamlining donor aid for maximum effect.

Youssef appealed to Burundi's international and national partners to respond positively to the appeal and help mobilise the necessary funds not only to "respond to the emergency needs but also lay the foundation for food self-sufficiency".

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