On the edge of the life-and-death struggle

Burundians’ living conditions are on the verge of the life-and-death struggle: almost the entire population lives on less than $1 per day. Life conditions are governed by a subsistence economy, which does not allow any growth: 90% of the population regard themselves as farmers, every day hoping that it will rain enough, that the rebels will not steal the harvest and that the government will start creating social infrastructures.

In the total absence of any guarantee of fundamental human rights such as the right to education, to work, to a health system etc. the Burundian population, composed of 6.500.000, is completely abandoned. The difficulty of survival is reflected in the high rates of infantile mortality, in the average life span of 45 years, and in the malnutrition which creates an extremely weak population and furthers the spread of several illnesses. There are only few measures taken in Burundi against malaria and AIDS, which daily cause the death of dozens. Highly widespread is the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Daily and numerous remain the deaths caused by illness, poverty and famine.