BUJUMBURA June 20th (ABP) – The Director General of Civil Protection and Disaster Management, Mr. Anicet Nibaruta, proceeded on Thursday June 17, 2021, to the opening of a three-day training workshop on the methodology of IOM DTM monitoring matrix for displaced people and geographic information system for the benefit of State officials from institutions involved in emergency management, collection of statistical data and production of cartography.
Mr. Nibaruta said that the DTM is intended to collect, to process and to disseminate regular information in order to allow the government and humanitarian actors to take movements and the needs of the victim people mainly of events of human and natural origin.
Introduced in Burundi in May 2015, the DTM has made it possible to effectively monitor and assess the flow of the internal people in order to provide reliable information on the present situation of internally displaced persons and their needs. He noted that tracking cross-border movements provides information on trends in high mobility areas. He also indicated that IOM and local administration have been collecting data at the unofficial entry point in Cankuzo, Muyinga, Rutana and Ruyigi provinces since the year 2018. He added that this activity has been extended to include Bujumbura and Cibitoke entry points in 2020 and the prospect being to introduce it this year in Kirundo province.
Mr. Nibaruta underlined that the importance of the activity of collecting and sharing data on migratory movements is based on the perfect synergy that exists between the IOM and the Burundi Red Cross on the coordination of the national risk prevention and disaster management platform.
According to Mr. Nibaruta, the data collected include figures on displacement, places of origin and destination, the approximate duration of displacement and the humanitarian needs of the displaced persons. He added that this information is as relevant as it helps humanitarian actors to prepare the sector response and the government to make decisions in order to alleviate the suffering of communities affected by an emergency situation.
Training on the DTM and the geographic information system is a residual activity of the project on building the capacities of immediate reintegration of Burundian returnees through access to housing, land and property, assistance in shelter, water and sanitation which was bequeathed to the development of IOM DTM.
He further specified that this training establishes the link between the DTM and the geographic information system which is based on the Geospatial representation of the areas affected by emergencies, the stakes affected and the places of return of returnees. Mr. Nibaruta finally pointed out that it contributes to the implementation of the national development plan 2018-2027 in its development component of the geographic information system on disaster risks and complements the cartography of major disaster risks which being drawn up.
Michel Asima, who represented the IOM Burundi head of mission, also argued that this training will build local capacities to be able to facilitate the location of places affected by natural disasters and damaged infrastructure, including in areas of return to Burundi. The training will also improve the orientation of the humanitarian response in favor of the affected people, he insisted.