Nearly all households in Burundi are unable to afford a nutritious diet, deepening an already severe malnutrition crisis despite ongoing humanitarian assistance, the World Food Programme said in a new report.
The agency’s 2025 Annual Country Report found that 94% of households cannot afford the lowest-cost nutritious diet, highlighting persistent economic barriers that limit access to diverse and healthy foods.
“The affordability indicator was stark: 94 percent of households could not afford the lowest-cost nutritious diet,” the WFP said, warning that the constraint undermines nutrition gains even where aid programmes are in place.
Burundi continues to face one of the highest levels of chronic malnutrition in the world. Stunting among children under five stands at 52%, well above the emergency threshold set by the World Health Organization.
At the same time, acute malnutrition is rising, with Global Acute Malnutrition reaching 8% in 2024, according to the report.
The findings reflect a broader structural crisis driven by poverty, low agricultural productivity and recurring economic shocks.
According to WFP data, about 41% of the population faces high levels of food insecurity, while more than 80% depend on subsistence farming, often on small and fragmented land.
Affordability, not just availability
The report underscores that the crisis is increasingly about affordability rather than food supply.
Even when food is available in markets, many households cannot afford nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and protein sources. As a result:
- Only 18% of children aged 6–23 months meet the minimum acceptable diet
- Dietary diversity among women remains critically low
“Pipeline breaks and affordability barriers constrained household access to diverse foods,” the report said.
Nutrition programmes are struggling to keep pace with needs.
The WFP said malnutrition prevention efforts reached only 54% of their target, largely due to funding shortfalls and supply disruptions that limited access to specialized nutritious foods.
Despite these challenges, treatment outcomes remained strong, with recovery rates for malnourished children reaching 98%. However, programmes were forced to halt operations in November 2025 after funding ran out.
The agency warned that without sustained investment, the crisis could have lasting consequences on Burundi’s development.
“Without urgent donor investment, nutrition and health outcomes will remain weak, undermining long-term human capital development,” the WFP said.
Experts say chronic malnutrition not only affects health, but also limits educational attainment and economic productivity.
While humanitarian aid remains critical, the report points to the need for longer-term solutions, including investment in agriculture, improved incomes for rural households and expanded social protection systems.
The Food and Agriculture Organization has similarly emphasized the importance of strengthening local food systems and boosting agricultural productivity to improve access to nutritious diets.
For Burundi, analysts say addressing the crisis will require a shift from emergency response to structural reforms that make healthy food affordable for the majority of the population.
