Desperate Conditions for Congolese Refugees in Burundi Camp Amid Food Shortages
Burundi – Claude, a 25-year-old refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), fears for his life as he waits for food at a distribution tent in Musenyi camp. Fleeing violent clashes caused by the advancing Rwanda-backed M23 group in Uvira, he now confronts starvation in overcrowded conditions, with food rations sharply reduced.
Since his arrival in February, Claude’s monthly rice allocation has plummeted from 3.5 kg to just 1 kg, while pea rations have similarly fallen. The dire situation has escalated tensions within the camp, prompting some refugees to resort to desperate measures such as slashing neighbors’ tents for food. "The reduction of assistance will lead to many crimes,” warns Claude.
Oscar Niyibizi, the camp’s deputy administrator, recognizes the urgent challenge posed by reduced food assistance, which could destabilize security. He encourages refugees to cultivate nearby land, though he stresses the necessity for external support.
Support from the U.S. and other Western nations has dwindled dramatically, with an 80 percent cut in aid from the Trump Administration exacerbating the crisis. The World Food Programme indicates that rations have been halved since March, and without renewed funding, all assistance may cease by November.
Geoffrey Kirenga, head of mission for Save the Children in Burundi, highlights the dire circumstances, noting that the camp—originally intended for 10,000—now houses nearly double that. In addition to food shortages, important services for survivors of sexual violence have been severed, raising the specter of “deaths from hunger” unless conditions improve. With over 71,000 Congolese refugees arriving since January, many face the harrowing choice of returning to conflict for sustenance.
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