GENEVA – Burundi is grappling with a worsening humanitarian situation as over 40,000 people have fled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the past two weeks to escape escalating violence, the United Nations (UN) reported on Friday.
According to Brigitte Mukanga-eno, UNHCR Representative in Burundi, the influx is unprecedented, with more than 9,000 people crossing the border in a single day last week. “This is the first time Burundi has received this large number of people,” she stated via video link from Geneva.
The surge in refugees is attributed to the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, particularly the advancement of the M23 rebel group, marking the most severe escalation in the region in over a decade. The conflict traces back to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control over Congo’s vast mineral resources.
Rwanda denies allegations from Congo, the UN, and Western powers that it supports M23 with arms and troops, maintaining that it is defending itself from a Hutu militia allegedly allied with the Congolese military.
Several areas in northwest Burundi are overwhelmed by the influx, with many refugees arriving injured or suffering from health issues such as measles, as reported by the UN. Mukanga-eno shared a tragic account of a woman who lost two children to exhaustion shortly after crossing the border.
The UNHCR reports that 36,000 people have fled to Burundi, some using makeshift boats across the Rusizi river, while 6,000 entered through the official Bujumbura border crossing since February 14.
The displaced are currently housed in open-air stadiums, schools, and churches, but UNHCR is planning to relocate them to a dedicated area where humanitarian aid can be provided. The agency has launched an emergency appeal for $40.4 million to support the anticipated influx of 258,000 refugees into Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Burundi has maintained troops in eastern Congo for years, initially to pursue Burundian rebels but more recently to assist in the fight against M23. The ongoing conflict continues to destabilize the region, with humanitarian agencies urging for urgent international support.