BUJUMBURA, Burundi (BT)— More than 90,000 people fleeing escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have crossed into neighboring Burundi since early December, according to United Nations agencies and government officials, creating a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in border regions.
The influx, triggered by renewed fighting involving the M23 armed group in South Kivu Province, has placed severe strain on Burundi’s already limited resources and prompted urgent calls for international assistance.
Data from the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) shows that as of Dec. 21, an estimated 94,808 people had entered Burundi through major crossing points at Buganda, Gatumba and Rumonge, including approximately 88,548 Congolese refugees and 6,260 Burundian returnees who had been living in the DRC.
Burundian local officials and U.N. partners have described conditions at reception and transit sites as “severely congested,” with thousands of families living without adequate shelter, clean water, sanitation or health care as they await transfer to more permanent settlements.
“The scale and pace of arrivals are unprecedented,” a UNICEF spokesman in Bujumbura said in a statement, noting that overcrowding at temporary sites has prompted serious risks for disease outbreaks and malnutrition, particularly among children.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been working with the Burundian government to register arrivals and coordinate humanitarian services, but officials warn that resources are insufficient to meet needs without additional support from the international community.
“Following recent violent clashes in South Kivu, notably around Uvira … a significant influx of refugees has occurred since Dec. 5,” UNHCR said in a statement, adding that the agency expects up to 90,000 new arrivals in the coming days if fighting persists.
Burundian authorities have reported new arrivals in multiple provinces, including thousands of refugees arriving with little more than the clothes on their backs. Some communities hosting refugees have expressed concern over access to food, clean water and health services.
The renewed fighting in eastern Congo, where armed groups have battled government forces and regional militias for control of resource-rich territory, has displaced hundreds of thousands of people this year. Aid groups have repeatedly warned that the situation could worsen as insecurity spreads.
International humanitarian organizations are now appealing for accelerated funding and emergency response efforts to address urgent needs in camps and transit areas along the Burundi-DRC border.
