Tens of thousands of refugees, mostly women and children, have been arriving in Tanzania, pouring over the border from Burundi. Over 70,000 have already arrived at Kagunga beach, on the border between Burundi and Tanzania, from where they are being bussed to Nyarugusu camp. We are working to provide clean water, shelter and food, but the huge influx of people is over-stretching our capacity to respond, as emergency aid workers and the government of Tanzania struggle to meet these urgent demands. Nyarugusu camp has already overflowed into schools and churches, providing additional temporary shelter until more appropriate accommodation can be built for the ever growing number of refugees.
Many arrive on Kakunga Beach
Refugees arrive on the rugged beach shore of Kakunga Beach, Lake Tanganyika, on the Burundi and Tanzania border. Many spend up to three weeks here in exposed, cramped conditions.
Photo: James Akena/Oxfam
From beach to boat
From Kakunga Beach, refugees are transported by boat to Kigoma Port, in Tanzania. Refugees are transferred by smaller boats to the ferry which carries 600 people. A second ship can carry up to 300 people but cannot operate at night.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
Registration and screening
From Kigoma port, refugees must take a bus to Lake Tanganyika Stadium for registration. Safety screenings are conducted as they disembark at Kigoma port.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
Fleeing Burundian families make the next step of their journey, on their way to Lake Tanganyika Stadium where they will get registered.
Photo: Aimee Brown/Oxfam
The tired, hungry and frightened refugees are given food vouchers which they can exchange for meals.
Photo: Aimee Brown/Oxfam
Schools and churches pressed into service
With Nyarugusu camp filled to overflowing schools and churches have been pressed into service as temporary shelter; to deal with the sheer volume of refugees.
Lycée de la paix girls secondary school is one of the many schools at Nyarugusu camp that has temporarily been turned into a refugee base to accommodate the rising numbers of refugees fleeing from Burundi.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
Cases of cholera confirmed
With cases of cholera already confirmed in both Kagunga and Nyargusu, clean water, medical care and proper sanitation are urgently needed. Oxfam is working with local partners TWESA to provide clean water, more toilets, and hygiene education.
Oxfam staff loads water, health, and sanitation (WASH) equipment onto a lorry in preparation for the arrival of Burundian refugees in Kigoma.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
Our teams are working to provide clean water and toilets to refugees in emergency camps in Tanzania, including Nyarugusu.
We have started transporting latrine construction materials from Kigoma to Kagunga beach in efforts to avert diseases like Cholera.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
Hygiene education helps prevent disease
In addition to clean water we are providing hygiene education; essential to disease prevention.
Oxfam teams are arriving in Nyarugusu camp to provide material and technical support to deliver life-saving clean water, construct latrines, as well as to educate the refugee population about the crucial importance of good hygiene.
Photo: Bill Marwa/Oxfam
We are working hard with the Government of Tanzania and other aid agencies to meet basic needs, but more funds are urgently needed in order to purchase essential materials such as tents, water pipes, water storage tanks and medical supplies.