Bujumbura, BURUNDI – Burundi is straining under one of the fastest-growing refugee emergencies in its recent history, as tens of thousands of people fleeing renewed conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo pour across its western border. The sudden arrivals have overwhelmed the country’s fragile humanitarian system, triggering warnings that the situation could deteriorate further without urgent international support.
Officials estimate that more than 40,000 Congolese have crossed into Burundi in recent weeks, with the total number since the beginning of the year rising to around 70,000. Most are women, children and elderly people escaping intensified clashes between Congolese government forces and the M23 rebel group. Many arrive exhausted after days of walking, river crossings and exposure to violence.
Reception centres along the border in Cibitoke province are filled far beyond capacity. Schools, churches and community buildings have been converted into emergency shelters, while thousands more sleep under makeshift tarpaulins or in open fields. Basic services—already limited before the influx—are now stretched to breaking point.
Aid workers describe conditions in transit sites as “dire”, citing shortages of food, clean water, medical care and sanitation facilities. Overcrowding has heightened the risk of outbreaks of measles, malaria and water-borne diseases. Health teams have reported rising cases of acute malnutrition, particularly among children who arrive weak and dehydrated.
Food supplies are running dangerously low. Humanitarian agencies have reduced rations due to funding shortfalls, in some cases cutting distributions by half. Refugee families often go days with little more than maize flour or borrowed food from Burundian neighbours who themselves struggle with chronic poverty and food insecurity.
The government has granted incoming Congolese prima facie refugee status, easing administrative processes for protection and aid delivery. However, the speed and scale of the influx have overwhelmed local capacity. Authorities warn that public services—especially healthcare and schooling—are under immense strain. Several primary schools near the border remain closed after being turned into temporary shelters, disrupting education for Burundian children.
Humanitarian organisations say the situation is being made more difficult by a severe funding gap. UN agencies have appealed for tens of millions of dollars to reinforce shelters, expand water and sanitation facilities, and scale up healthcare and nutrition programmes. But donor fatigue and competing global crises have slowed the flow of assistance.
Mobile medical teams are working along the border to treat trauma injuries, infectious diseases and malnutrition, but shortages of medicine and personnel limit their reach. Psychosocial support for refugees, many of whom have witnessed killings or lost family members, remains minimal.
The conflict in eastern Congo shows no sign of easing. As M23 consolidates control over key towns and villages, more civilians are expected to flee into neighbouring countries. Burundi—one of the region’s least-resourced states—faces the prospect of a prolonged humanitarian emergency unless relief operations receive substantial reinforcement.
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