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Humanitarian agency appeals for aid for Burundian refugees

Xinhua, June 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

A global humanitarian agency on Wednesday made an appeal for emergency food and medicine for victims of the Burundi political turmoil.

The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC)'s Regional Program Coordinator Dennis Kjeldsen said in Nairobi that there are currently 20,000 Burundi refugees in need for help.

"At least 1.3 million U.S. dollars is required immediately to help the Tanzanian Red Cross to provide emergency interventions to the Burundian refugees in Tanzania," Kjeldsen said during a news briefing.

"Over the past few weeks, at least 96,000 Burundian refugees have crossed into neighboring Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda," he said, adding that Tanzania alone is hosting 48,000 Burundi refugees.

Kjeldsen said approximately 20 percent of Burundian refugees in Tanzania are in urgent need of emergency aid, noting that 70 percent of refugees are under the age of 18.

According to IFRC, there has been a diarrhea and cholera outbreak in the Tanzanian refugees' camp. "We are therefore conducting medical screening for all new refugees arriving at the camps," he added.

In addition, the IFRC is also providing psycho social support to Burundi asylum seekers at the different entry and camps in Rwanda. Endi