It was the evening of 19 April when Burundi’s Ruzizi River started to overflow. It had been raining heavily for several days. Nearly 7,000 homes in the area surrounding the capital Bujumbura were flooded.
Thousands of families were forced from their homes – people who are already facing the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. More than 400 hectares of crops were destroyed, leaving people with very little food for the year ahead.
Tearfund and our partners were on hand to help.
In Gatumba city, more than 1,200 families were given cash vouchers to help them buy what they needed most.
‘The cash helped us very much,’ a young mother called Renilde told us. ‘We bought some food with the money. We were relieved – our children were starving. We really are grateful.’
Responding to needs
Vulnerable families were also provided with clothes, cooking items, blankets and soap. More than 800 women and girls received packs containing menstrual products.
