 |
    |
 
Burundi Why children in Burundi need your helpAfter the end to 12 years of civil war between ethnic groups the Hutus and Tutsis, Burundi is finally enjoying a measure of peace. However, conditions for children here remain extremely difficult, and it remains one of the world's ten poorest countries. Burundi has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, and one in every 12 women dies as a result of complications due to childbirth. Immunisation rates are very low, and the spread of HIV/AIDS is also having a major impact, leaving many children orphaned. The psychological impact of the war can also not be underestimated, with many children having witnessed scenes of incredible violence, or having been forcibly recruited to act as child soldiers during the upheaval. Country factsOnly a few months after Burundi's first democratic election process in 1993, newly elected president Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu, was assassinated. This event triggered a further 12 years of civil unrest between warring ethnic groups the Hutus and Tutsis. Around a quarter of a million people were killed during this period, while hundreds of thousands were internally-displaced or forced to flee to neighbouring countries. Only in 2003, following international interventions and the creation of a power-sharing agreement between the two ethnic groups, has the country been at peace. In 2005, a majority Hutu government was elected, led by President Pierre Nkurunziza. The country now continues the rebuilding process.
|
