*For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters: EMDAT Information on Burundi

Calamities and Seasonal Effects

Burundi, like many parts of Africa, experiences extreme climate events such as floods and recurrent drought. In the long term, crop failure, chronic food shortages and droughts do occur in the country.  Flood disasters can occur during rainy seasons and causing landslides, while drought can affect populations when dry seasons are longer than usual. Over 80% of the population lives in rural areas and are engaged in various agricultural activities including subsistence farming and livestock keeping.

According to WFP, food security for most Burundians has not improved in recent years, despite the resumption of relative peace in the country. Even during harvest season, households spend up to 60 percent of their income on food. During these difficult times, many households employ a wide variety of coping strategies such as off-farm employment, temporary migration, petty trade, transport and trading in food commodities across food economy zones and participation in food-for-work projects. Some households also reduce the number of daily meals and/or the quantity eaten per meal.

Burundi Relief and Flood Risk Map

Burundi in general has a tropical highland climate, with a considerable daily temperature range in many areas. Temperature also varies considerably from one region to another, chiefly as a result of differences in altitude. The central plateau enjoys pleasantly cool weather, with an average temperature of 20 °C (68 °F). The area around Lake Tanganyika is warmer, averaging 23 °C (73.4 °F); the highest mountain areas are cooler, averaging 16 °C (60.8 °F). 

Bujumbura’s average annual temperature is 23 °C (73.4 °F). Rain is irregular, falling most heavily in the northwest. Dry seasons vary in length, and there are sometimes long periods of drought.

However, four seasons can be distinguished: the long dry season (June–August), the short-wet season (September–November), the short dry season (December–January), and the long-wet season (February–May). Most of Burundi receives between 1,300 and 1,600 mm (51.2 and 63.0 in) of rainfall a year.

Seasonal Affects on Transport

Due to a poor drainage system, there is serious flooding of the roads in urban areas during the rainy season. During the rains, some roads become difficult to navigate, especially in the rural areas where the roads are full of mud and potholes. However, light vehicles equipped with 4WD, can cope with this road condition.
Heavy vehicles might not be able to operate in these conditions. Potential seasonal effects on miscellaneous handling and storage activities include the stoppage of handling operations at the port for perishable goods when it rains. The equipment operators and laborers will stop work and will only resume after the rain has ceased. This break in operations can last for up four hours in a day. As it is common in many parts of Africa, rains will most of the time disrupt operations of any kind till it ceases.

Other ways of transport (air, lake) are not really affected by seasonal effects, as most of the transport in Burundi is by road.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

There is the National Security Council (Le Conseil National de la Sécurité; CNS) headed by the President, who is the head of state of the Republic of Burundi. The Council is responsible for providing disaster relief in the form of food, medicine and assistance with temporary shelter and reconstruction. Other members of this council are the Minister of Defense, the Minister of the Interior etc. In the case of an emergency, this council names an ad hoc commission in charge of overseeing the disaster relief.

4.1 Burundi Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

Several UN Agencies (WFP, FAO, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNFPA, WHO, UNDP, UNOPS, UNWOMEN, IOM, OSESG) are operating in Burundi

The INGOs intervene in different field, such as Medical, Food Security, IDP’s and Refugee. 

A key part of the work is to investigate the capacity of all the humanitarian actors in the country as well as identify gaps and the way forward to address them. 

UN agencies and INGOs have trucking capacity that can be used for humanitarian response.

For information on Burundi humanitarian background additional details, please see the following document: 4.2 Burundi Humanitarian key figures

4.2 Burundi Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Bureau Burundais de Normalisation et Contrôle de la Qualité (BBN) 

The Burundi Bureau of Standards and Quality Control (BBN) has introduced its own Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Program, bringing the country into line with other State Members of the East African Community. This scheme has been designed to protect consumer health and safety by ensuring that goods imported to Burundi conform to applicable local, regional and/or international standards.  

Depending on the certification route, they provide one or a combination of the following interventions:

• Physical inspection prior to shipment
• Sampling, testing and analysis in accredited laboratories
• Audit of product manufacturing processes
• Documentary check and assessment of conformity with the requirements of the applicable standards

Other information can be found here: SGS

Civil Aviation Authority (AACB)

The Civil Aviation Authority (AACB) is the entity which is responsible for controlling airport traffic and making rules relating to aircraft safety, in these two major categories:

• Scheduled air transport, including all passenger and cargo flights operating on regularly scheduled routes
• General aviation (GA), including all other civil flights, private or commercial.

Customs (OBR)

The OBR (Office Burundais des Recettes) link is the entity responsible for collecting taxes on goods coming into the country and preventing illegal goods from being brought in.

Telecommunications Authority (ARCT)

The ARCT (Agence de Régulation et de contrôle des télécommunications) is the entity promoting public access to electronic communications services throughout Burundi and contributes to the development of broadband services needed for the emergence of the digital economy link

Food and Drugs (ABREMA)

Burundi has not yet acquired this authority, although in 2019 a draft decree establishing and organizing the Drug and Food Regulatory Authority (ABREMA) was created.

East African Community

East African Community Website

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization of six (6) Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The EAC organs are the Summit, the Council of Ministers, the Co-ordinating Committee, the Sectoral Committees, the East African Court of Justice, the East African Legislative Assembly and the Secretariat.

The EAC is home to 177 million citizens, of which over 22% is urban population. With a land area of 2.5 million square kilometers and a combined Gross Domestic Product of US$ 193 billion (EAC Statistics for 2019), its realization bears great strategic and geopolitical significance and prospects for the renewed and reinvigorated EAC.

The work of the EAC is guided by its Treaty which established the Community. It was signed on 30 November 1999 and entered into force on 7 July 2000 following its ratification by the original three Partner States - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty on 18 June 2007 and became full Members of the Community with effect from 1 July 2007. The Republic of South Sudan acceded to the Treaty on 15 April 2016 and become a full Member on 15 August 2016.

As one of the fastest growing regional economic blocs in the world, the EAC is widening and deepening co-operation among the Partner States in various key spheres for their mutual benefit. These spheres include political, economic and social.

Currently, the regional integration process is in full swing as reflected by the encouraging progress of the East African Customs Union, the establishment of the Common Market in 2010 and the implementation of the East African Monetary Union Protocol.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

COMESA Website

Burundi is a member state of COMESA, The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa which is a preferential trading area with twenty-one member states (560 million people) stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe.  

World Trade Organization (WTO)

World Trade Organization 

Burundi is a member state of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

World Customs Organization (WCO)

World Customs Organization

Burundi is a member state of the World Customs Organization (WCO). link

 For information on Burundi Regulatory departments, please see the following links: 4.10 Burundi Regulatory Departments Contact List.

https://burundi.gov.bi/gouvernement/

Custom procedures are rarely cited as a major obstacle. While import authorizations can remain complex and cumbersome procedures, this does not seem to be insurmountable and they do not deteriorate significantly during crises. On the other hand, the addition of barrier measures at the borders and during controls has created an extension of the border control transit time. Unexpected and undisclosed changes in procedures could occasionally create heavy delays and unpleasant annoyances due to a lack of communication or liaison with relevant government actors.

Duties and Tax Exemption

Emergency Response

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

Humanitarian aid imports can enter Burundi duty and tax free but there are certain limitations.

The customs legislation in force in Burundi, governed by decree law No1/58 of 12/11/1971, does not include specific legal provisions for humanitarian aid imports. Only in its Chapter 7, Article 89 it is stipulated: “Duties and taxes exemption is allowed, within the limits and in the conditions determined by the Minister for Finance, for the goods imported under diplomatic, consular or similar privileges". As such, under the current national legislation of Burundi, this importation concession is not absolute but under the discretion of the Minister of Finance through OBR, principal revenue collection body of the Government of Burundi.
The Customs Department is under the direct supervision of the OBR (Office Burundais des Recettes) of the Minister of Finance.

Concerning the customs codes for release for free circulation, it varies according to the tariff classification of individual goods. It is necessary to know this for the nature of the goods, the composition, and the operation or the use of the goods. The Customs department has made an official customs tariff guide in which the goods are classified in a nomenclature with all the information stated above. Thus, the customs regimes and sub-regimes make it possible for automatic taxation through the information processing system SYDONIA (Automated Customs System).

As a side note, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation is the entity under the Government of Burundi to be the focal point of communication between the Government and international aid organizations in the general context and execution of operations. Thus, any step to take goods out of customs bond is not possible without the approval of the aforesaid Ministry.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link: 4.1 Burundi Government Contact List.

This is general information on the customs clearance of goods into Burundi. Please contact the customs authorities for more information. Operational clearing offices are located in Bujumbura, Kayanza, Gitega and Kobero border.

General Information

Transit Regime

For further information, please refer to the Official site of ‘Office Burundais des Recettes’ (OBR): Office Burundais des Recettes