BUJUMBURA - More than 2,500 people have fled Burundi for neighbouring Tanzania since December to escape a drought in the eastern province of Ruyigi, a provincial governor said on Monday.
At least 771 people were sheltering in a refugee camp in the Tanzanian city of Kigoma, while others were with Tanzanian families who were paying them for working in their farms.
"Over 2,500 have fled their homes because of hunger," Moise Bucumi, the governor of Ruyigi province said.
In his New Year's message, Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza said the government had decided to cut tax on imported food from 30 percent to five percent to feed thousands of rural people facing food shortages.
Drought has also affected the eastern African countries of Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and parts of Tanzania.
Burundian authorities say the worst hit region is the northern province of Kirundo, which borders Rwanda, where five out of seven districts are affected.
"We are very concerned by that situation, we need more assistance from aid organisations," Provincial Governor, Francois Singayimiheto told Reuters.
He said although the affected families had tried to flee to Rwanda in search of food, they found the area was also affected by drought, forcing them to return home to depend on food aid from the World Food Programme (WFP).
WFP has said that by December it had provided food aid to about 80 percent of 1.5 million people living in the eastern and northern provinces of Burundi affected by hunger.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
