{"id":2527,"date":"2011-11-06T18:00:24","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T01:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/humanium.org\/en\/?page_id=2527"},"modified":"2025-12-13T20:14:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T20:14:25","slug":"burundi","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/burundi\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of Burundi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Realizing Children&#8217;s Rights in Burundi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/fillette-kristensonline-flickr-no-retouch-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34670\" style=\"width:200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1241205379-1-2-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34671\" style=\"width:200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Children in Burundi are often unable to enjoy fulfilment of their rights due to the difficult context in which they live. Children are vulnerable to serious risks which undermine their safeguarding including: child trafficking, poverty, environmental disaster and forced displacement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d2039214.7941481571!2d28.80387279511207!3d-3.388881795514699!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x19c144d33654f15b%3A0xb1234d0e5631ec8d!2sBurundi!5e0!3m2!1sen!2shr!4v1590149008269!5m2!1sen!2shr\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" aria-hidden=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 11.8 million<strong><br>Pop. ages 0-14:<\/strong> 45.5 %<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Life expectancy:<\/strong> 57.50&nbsp;years<strong><br>Under-5 mortality rate:<\/strong>&nbsp;58.5 \u2030<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Burundi at a Glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Burundi is a small landlocked country just south-east of the African continent\u2019s centre, with a high population density and an extreme susceptibility to the protracted global climate emergency. Burundi is one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poor-children\/\">poorest<\/a> countries in the world, and rain-fed agriculture employs around 90% of its inhabitants (UNDP, 2020). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childrens-rights\/\">Child rights<\/a> in Burundi unfold in a highly complex and difficult context of post-conflict, post-genocide, post-colonialism and the neoliberal international order. Many measures have been taken by the nation in recent years to improve Burundi\u2019s child protection framework, but there remain prevalent day-to-day and structural challenges seriously impacting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-world\/\">children\u2019s<\/a> lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People in Burundi experienced a crisis of violent civil and political unrest from 2015 to 2018, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-in-war\/\">civil war<\/a> from 1993 to 2005, and two genocides at the end of the 20th century. Moreover, the Kingdom of Burundi endured over 60 years of brutal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/europe-caucasus\/\">European<\/a> colonialism, and suffered a military German invasion in 1899, becoming part of colonial \u2018German East Africa\u2019, then \u2018Ruanda-Urundi\u2019 following military conquer and occupation by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/belgium\/\">Belgium<\/a>; only to gain independence in 1962. Europeans brought diseases that devastated the people of Burundi, as well as the plant and animal life they relied upon, leading to widespread famine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Germany carried out genocide in \u2018German East Africa\u2019, using concentration camps, and scorched earth tactics to invoke mass starvation, amongst other crimes. Today, Burundi\u2019s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is attempting to investigate such crimes (Sarkin-Hughes, 2011). Despite significant local resistance, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/europe-caucasus\/\">Europe<\/a> ruled Burundi \u2018through\u2019 the Tutsi monarchy, and oversaw creation of racial identity cards for residents, thus laying the groundwork of ethnic division before the genocides of 1972 and 1993.<a href=\"#_ftn1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status of Children&#8217;s Rights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Burundi, there exists an established national legal framework for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protection\/\">protection<\/a> of child rights, and Burundi has ratified key international treaties including the Child Rights Convention, and both of its Optional Protocols. Burundian law penalises commercial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">sexual exploitation<\/a> of children with 10 to 15 years in prison and a fine, and penalises child pornography with 3 to 5 years in prison and fines. There were, however, no prosecutions of this nature during 2018. Furthermore, the law penalises violence against or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">abuse<\/a> of children, with 3 to 5 years\u2019 imprisonment (U.S. Department of State, 2018). Burundi\u2019s 2014 anti-trafficking law criminalises forced labour and trafficking. There are, however, gaps in Burundi\u2019s Penal and Labour Codes which leave some children without legal protection.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34689\" style=\"width:354px;height:236px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_580443208-1-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The minimum age for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a> (16 years old) does not apply to children who are informally employed, and the use of children in the production and trafficking of narcotics is not illegal. The use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-soldier\/\">children in armed conflict<\/a> is prohibited by the constitution, but only criminalised if the child is under 15 years old, leaving children aged 15 to 18 vulnerable.  There exist institutional mechanisms in Burundi for the enforcement of child labour laws, although enforcement agencies reportedly lack sufficient numbers of labor inspectors (Bureau of International Labour, 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Burundi <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">child marriage<\/a> and forced marriage is illegal, with the minimum age for sexual consent at 18. The Constitution\u2019s article 29 legally prohibits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/lgbtq-children\/\">same-sex<\/a> marriage, and article 567 of Burundi\u2019s Penal Code penalises consensual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/lgbtq-children\/\">same-sex<\/a> sexual relations between adults with up to 2 years prison, violating Burundian people\u2019s right to privacy and non-discrimination (Human Rights Watch, 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Addressing the Needs of Children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\"><strong><em>Right to education<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Burundi, since the government abolished school fees in 2012, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> is free, compulsory, and universal from ages 7 to 13. Consequentially, primary schools saw a high 96% enrolment rate for the years 2010 to 2014, with an 89% youth literacy rate overall (UNICEF, 2016). Secondary school in Burundi, however, comes with tuition fees and is not compulsory, contributing to a low net enrolment ratio of 25%, and an even lower attendance rate between 2010 and 2014 (UNICEF, 2016). Challenges which can impede children\u2019s access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> in Burundi include that throughout the country informal fees are imposed for schooling at all levels (U.S. Department of State, 2018), as well as costs of school books and school uniforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, the requirement of birth certificates as a predicament for school attendance leave unregistered or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">undocumented children<\/a> with reduced access to schooling and more vulnerable to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a>; with indigenous members of the Batwa ethnic group being particularly affected (Bureau of International Labour Affairs, 2017). Child refugees and children returning from forced displacement may not speak French or Kirundi, and face linguistic barriers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a>. Such challenges must be seen in light of Burundi\u2019s recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-in-war\/\">civil war<\/a> which did great injury to education sector with many schools destroyed and children and teachers displaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Rights to health and water<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Children in Burundi have access to free health care until the age of 5, securing a crucial aspect of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">right to health<\/a> during the most vulnerable period of infancy. The principal direct threats to Burundian children\u2019s health include malaria, malnutrition and respiratory <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childhood-illnesses\/\">diseases<\/a>. Burundi is also considered to be at risk of Ebola from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Almost half of all Burundian children live more than 30 minutes away from their closest health care facility, and about 80% of Burundian children are cited as living in accommodation using \u2018non-improved combustibles\u2019 which produce particle smoke, at once heightening the risk of respiratory <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childhood-illnesses\/\">diseases<\/a>, and, potentially reducing the risk of malaria for those who do not have mosquito nets, because smoke can deter insects (Ramful et. al, 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-soldat-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34687\" style=\"width:364px;height:242px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-soldat-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-soldat-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-1-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-soldat-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-1-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Reprehensibly, half of the children in Burundi suffer from stunting due to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/food\/\">malnutrition<\/a> (Save the Children, 2019). Unfortunately, the traditional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/cultural-practices\/\">cultural practice<\/a> of removing an infant\u2019s uvula (at the rear of the mouth) causes numerous infections and deaths, undermining some children\u2019s right to health (U.S. Department of State, 2018). Access to safe drinking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">water<\/a> is available for the majority of the population, but as of 2015 a quarter of people in Burundi still could not benefit from this crucial provision, threatening many children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">right to water<\/a> (UNICEF, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/world\/right-to-identity\/\"><strong><em>Right to identity<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Burundi, birth registration is free of charge and undertaken by the government within the days that follow a child\u2019s birth, ensuring a key aspect of their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">right to an identity<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Burundian constitution states that children inherit citizenship from their parents. There remains, however, a significant portion of children whose births are not registered (75% of births were registered between 2008 and 2014 according to UNICEF), and these children may not have access to essential public services, including primary schooling and free medical care before the age of 5 (U.S. Department of State, 2018). Children whose births are not registered are unable to benefit from having an identity in the eyes of their society, and are often invisibilised and marginalised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Rights to freedom of expression and opinion<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There have been serious incidents of small-scale politically motivated arrests and imprisonment of children who peacefully exercise their basic human <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights\/freedom\/\">right to freedom of expression<\/a>. These children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights\/freedom\/\">right to freedom<\/a> of expression has been violated. Six schoolgirls were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/justice-of-children\/\">arrested<\/a> in 2019, accused of doodling on President Nkurunziza\u2019s picture in their text books. A boy was also arrested and released that same day. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-orphelins-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-orphelins-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-2.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-orphelins-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-2-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/enfants-orphelins-d-proffer-flickr-300x200-2-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>These girls were later released following scrutiny from international media and online pressure, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/justice-of-children\/\">charges<\/a> against them were not dropped, and they may face up to five years in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/detained-children\/\">prison<\/a>.  Similarly, in 2016 dozens of children were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/detained-children\/\">detained<\/a> for drawing on textbook images of the President (Nicholson, 2019). Children in Burundi can face serious punishment, then, for expression which is considered to be dissenting or critical, and their right to freedom of expression and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights\/freedom\/\">freedom of opinion<\/a> is thus curtailed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Risk factors \u2192 Country-specific challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Environmental rights<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The global climate emergency severely infringes upon Burundian children\u2019s ability to enjoy their basic human rights. Government inaction on the climate emergency, particularly from top-emitting countries (including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-kingdom\/\">UK<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/china\/\">China<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/europe-caucasus-france\/\">France<\/a>, Germany, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/australia\/\">Australia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/saudi-arabia\/\">Saudi Arabia<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/south-africa\/\">South Africa<\/a>), impacts Burundian children\u2019s rights to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">life<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">water<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> (World Population Review, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"250\" height=\"188\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/travail-irri-images-flickr.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34691\" style=\"width:289px;height:217px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/travail-irri-images-flickr.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/travail-irri-images-flickr-230x173.jpg 230w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Burundi is particularly affected, despite having the lowest greenhouse gas emissions on the planet, contributing just 0.01% of total emissions (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2018). In 2020, 1.7 million Burundians were identified as in need of humanitarian assistance, 58 per cent of whom were children (OCHA, 2020). Burundi is one of the countries the most susceptible to climate change, and its inhabitants are regularly hit by recurring climate disasters at local and national levels, with life-altering consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An astounding total of 1,586 natural disasters, mostly torrential rains, floods and high winds, were recorded in Burundi between October 2018 and December 2019, with impacts that included <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">forced displacement<\/a>, total or partial destruction of; crops, homes, classrooms, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/water\/\">water<\/a> networks and health centres (OCHA, 2020). These often cause severe localised emergencies, and are responsible for displacing almost 80% of the country\u2019s 120,000 internally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displaced<\/a> people &#8211; most of whom are children. One example is the province of Kirundo, which faced a rain deficit between January and March 2019, worsening the already challenging situation of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/food\/\">food insecurity<\/a> and further impacting the nutritional status of children (UNICEF, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Child displacement<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/pauvrete-enricod-flickr-no-retouch-199x300-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34684\" style=\"width:218px;height:329px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Burundi risks becoming a forgotten refugee crisis as, since 2015, hundreds of thousands of people fled the political crisis that erupted in the country, taking refuge in neighbouring countries such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/tanzania\/\">Tanzania<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/uganda\/\">Uganda<\/a>. More than half of all refugees within Burundi are children, with over 30,000 children having been repatriated to Burundi since 2017, and over 78,000 children registered as internally <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displaced <\/a>throughout the 18 provinces (this is decreasing) (UNICEF, 2019). Many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displaced children<\/a> are unaccompanied, and are at severe risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">abuse<\/a>, neglect, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">sexual violence<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">death<\/a> (War Child, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Child refugees returning to Burundi frequently lack access to basic services and have been identified as highly vulnerable (Bureau of International Labour Affairs, 2017). Child <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displacement<\/a> is linked to Burundi\u2019s complex context and unrest, as well as to the protracted global climate emergency. The refugee situation in the country is now slowly improving (War Child, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Child poverty<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Burundi consistently figures as amongst the few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poor-children\/\">poorest<\/a> countries in the world (USA Today, 2018). Child poverty is a persistent problem in Burundi, and worsened after the country\u2019s 2015 crisis. In a 2016 report on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poor-children\/\">child poverty<\/a>, UNICEF identified 78% of Burundian children as living in poverty (monetary, and\/or non-monetary poverty), with children who live in rural areas being particularly affected (Ramful et. al, 2017). Child poverty intersects with the other challenges to the fulfilment of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childrens-rights\/\">child rights<\/a> in Burundi. It is estimated that just under half a million children live in extreme <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poor-children\/\">poverty<\/a> in the country, with indigenous children from the Batwa minority being disproportionately affected (Street Child, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Street children<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-1024x765.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34683\" style=\"width:322px;height:240px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-768x574.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-1536x1147.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-2048x1530.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-830x620.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-230x172.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-350x261.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/shutterstock_1287680806-1-480x359.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to the NGO War Child, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/street-children\/\">thousands of children<\/a> continue to live on streets throughout Burundi. These children rely on humanitarian assistance for basic services, such as medical care and economic assistance, since the government provides them with minimal support. Children who live or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">work<\/a> on the street continue to face arrest and detention, and many were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/detained-children\/\">detained<\/a> as part of a plan to end vagrancy. Although the government intended to reintegrate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/detained-children\/\">detained<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/street-children\/\">street children<\/a> and adults to their places of origin, it seems this has not yet occurred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children who are homeless and live or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">work<\/a> on streets also reportedly experience police brutality and theft of their possessions. The government established a commendable goal of having no children or adults living on the streets by the end of 2017, but did not achieve this, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/street-children\/\">street children <\/a>are highly vulnerable to having their fundamental rights violated (War Child, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Child soldiers<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-soldier\/\">child soldiers<\/a> appears to be very rare in Burundi, and is not a threat to the rights of most children in the county. There have been some incidents, though, including in 2015 when it was reported that about 58 children, some younger than 15, were recruited and forced to take part in an armed invasion against the government in Kayanza Province. Similarly, there are reports of hundreds of Burundian children who may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-trafficking\/\">trafficking<\/a> victims, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">girls<\/a>, being trained in weaponry at a camp in south Rwanda (Bureau of International Affairs, 2018). Efforts have been made by the Burundian government to demobilise former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-soldier\/\">child soldiers<\/a> and to reintegrate them into their communities, and the government does not recruit children into its armed forces (Bureau of International Affairs, 2018).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Child marriage<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Forced marriage, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">child marriage<\/a>, is illegal in Burundi. National law protects children, setting the legal age for marriage at 18 for girls and 21 for boys, with the minimum age for consensual sex being 18. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">Rape<\/a> of a minor (= sex with a minor) incurs 10 to 30 years\u2019 imprisonment for perpetrators. Although <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">child marriage<\/a> was reported in southern muslim regions, this seems to be uncommon. Burundi\u2019s Ministry of the Interior has made efforts to persuade Imams not to officiate illegal or unregulated marriages (U.S. Department of State, 2018). Nonetheless, 6% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">girls<\/a> in Burundi aged 15 to 19 are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">married<\/a>, and 1 in 37 of them gives birth, indicating that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-marriage\/\">child marriage<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">rape<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">girls<\/a> are serious problems which threaten the lives and the wellbeing of many girls in Burundi (Save the Children, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><em>Child trafficking and prostitution<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-trafficking\/\">Child trafficking<\/a> in Burundi is a serious problem, although its prevalence is difficult to ascertain due to lack of data, and the invisibilised nature of its victims. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-trafficking\/\">Child trafficking<\/a> intersects with other forms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">abuse<\/a> and rights violation such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">sexual violence<\/a>. Traffickers exploit children in domestic servitude and child sex trafficking via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">prostitution<\/a>. Child victims of these practises are all sexually assaulted, and are regularly unpaid, verbally abused, and even enslaved. Adults who offer children lodging can push these children into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">prostitution<\/a> in order to pay for living expenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This results in the existence of child brothels which are located in certain impoverished areas of Bujumbura, near Lake Tanganyika, in Ngozi, Gitega, Rumonge and along trucking corridors (U.S. Department of State, 2019). Burundian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">girls<\/a>, including orphaned girls, are also trafficked internationally for commercial <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">sexual exploitation<\/a> into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/kenya\/\">Kenya<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/middle-east-north-africa\/\">Middle East<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/rwanda\/\">Rwanda<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/uganda\/\">Uganda<\/a>. Equally, Burundian children are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-trafficking\/\">trafficked<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/tanzania\/\">Tanzania<\/a> and are forced to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">labour<\/a> in agriculture (Bureau of International Laboura Affairs, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Written by Josie Thum<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Updated on 6 April 2020<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dol.gov\/agencies\/ilab\/resources\/reports\/child-labor\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau of International Labour Affairs&nbsp; (2018) <em>Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour &#8211; Burundi<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.refworld.org\/pdfid\/5bd05aaf16.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bureau of International Labour Affairs&nbsp; (2017) \u2018Burundi\u2019, Ref World<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/world-report\/2019\/country-chapters\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Human Rights Watch (2019) \u2018Burundi Events of 2018\u2019<em>, Human Rights Watch Online<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (2018) <em>Climate Change Profile Burundi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/latest\/campaigns\/2019\/05\/burundi-crisis-the-legacy-of-2015-brings-fear-for-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nicholson, Rachel (2019) \u2018Burundi crisis: The legacy of 2015 brings fear for 2020\u2019, <em>Amnesty International<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/esa\/sites\/unicef.org.esa\/files\/2018-09\/UNICEF-Burundi-2017-Child-Poverty.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ramful, Nesha, Li\u00ean Boon and Chris de Neubourg (2017) <em>La Pauvret\u00e9 des Enfants au Burundi, <\/em>UNICEF<\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Sarkin-Hughes, Jeremy (2011) <em>Germany&#8217;s Genocide of the Herero: Kaiser Wilhelm II, His General, His Settlers, His Soldiers,<\/em> Boydell &amp; Brewer, ISBN&nbsp;978-1847010322.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.savethechildren.org\/us\/what-we-do\/where-we-work\/africa\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Save the Children (2019) \u2018The Challenges for Children in Burundi\u2019, <em>Save the Children Online<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.usatoday.com\/story\/money\/2018\/11\/29\/poorest-countries-world-2018\/38429473\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Harrington, John (2018) \u2018From the Solomon Islands to Liberia: These are the 25 poorest countries in the world\u2019 in <em>USA Today<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.street-child.co.uk\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Street Child (2020) \u2018Burundi\u2019, <em>Street Child Online<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adaptation-undp.org\/explore\/eastern-africa\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNDP (2020) \u2018Burundi\u2019, <em>UNDP and Climate Change Adaption Online<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/burundi\/unicef-burundi-humanitarian-situation-report-january-march-2019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF (2019) &#8216;Burundi Humanitarian Situation Report, January-March 2019\u2019, Relief Web<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/country\/bdi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF (2018) \u2018Country Profiles: Burundi\u2019, UNICEF Data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/resources\/state-worlds-children-2016-statistical-tables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF (2016) <em>The State of the World&#8217;s Children 2016 statistical tables<\/em>, UNICEF Data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reports.unocha.org\/en\/country\/burundi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UN OCHA (2020) \u2018Burundi Situation Report\u2019, <em>UN OCHA Online<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/reports\/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report-2\/burundi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Department of State (2019) \u20182019 Trafficking in Persons Report: Burundi\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/reports\/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices\/__trashed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Department of State (2018) &#8216;2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Burundi\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.warchildholland.org\/burundi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">War Child (2020) \u2018Burundi\u2019, <em>War Child Onlin<\/em>e.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/countries\/co2-emissions-by-country\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Population review (2020) \u2018CO2 Emissions by Country 2020\u2019, <em>World Population Review Onlin<\/em>e.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"#_ftnref1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a> This article by no means purports to give a full or representative account of children\u2019s rights in Burundi, which are vast, complex and constantly changing. The article aims to highlight principal challenges to child rights in Burundi, and is not representative of Burundi\u2019s rights history, innovations or achievements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Realizing Children&#8217;s Rights in Burundi Children in Burundi are often unable to enjoy fulfilment of their rights due to the difficult context in which they live. Children are vulnerable to serious risks which undermine their safeguarding including: child trafficking, poverty, environmental disaster and forced displacement. Population: 11.8 millionPop. ages 0-14: 45.5 % Life expectancy: 57.50&nbsp;yearsUnder-5 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2527","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Children of Burundi - Humanium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Children in Burundi are often unable to enjoy fulfilment of their rights due to the difficult context in which they live.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/burundi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Children of Burundi - 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