Since early 2025, clashes have intensified in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), displacing hundreds of thousands of people across the region. Tens of thousands have fled to Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries, where more than 80,000 Congolese refugees are seeking safety in overcrowded camps such as Busuma and Musenyi.
Desperate Conditions in Busuma Camp
Busuma refugee camp in Burundi was created in December 2025, in response to an influx of refugees after the fall of Uvira in South Kivu, DRC, to M23 rebels. Conditions in the camp are extremely difficult, with limited access to water, food and healthcare. Around two-thirds of people in Busuma have no shelter, and more than half the population are children, according to Unicef. Some have been separated from their family and are unaccompanied minors.
Stories of Survival and Separation
Estelle Tilifoza, a Congolese refugee, left the town of Baraka on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in South Kivu. She crossed the lake with her husband and five children to reach the town of Rumonge in southern Burundi. Nema Shukuru, another refugee, has been unable to locate her husband since her displacement and uses an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) service to call her neighbour for news back in Congo. The Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 has captured large swathes of North and South Kivu since 2021, including the provincial capitals Goma and Bukavu. Six million people have been displaced, many becoming separated from family members.
Julienne Chigalo, 53, in Musenyi camp, was separated from her son when she escaped from her village in South Kivu 10 years ago. When someone at the camp told her he was alive, she didn’t believe them until she saw him on a video call. He now sends her money from France. 'We would have died of hunger if it weren’t for the help he sends us,' she says.
Humanitarian Efforts and Challenges
On the outskirts of Busuma camp, Congolese refugees search for and collect firewood to burn or make into charcoal to sell. A Burundi Red Cross Society worker disinfects sites in the camp. Burundi is one of the world’s poorest countries. The sudden influx of refugees has placed significant pressure on the country’s limited resources. Disinfection is one of the humanitarian services that the ICRC and the Burundi Red Cross Society are delivering.
Graves and Ongoing Struggles
The graves of recently deceased Congolese refugees near Busuma camp in March highlight the dire situation. Esperance Sakina Hatari, from Mutarule in South Kivu, arrived at Busuma camp in December 2025. She spends her days making charcoal near the entrance, hoping to earn a little money. Separated from her husband, she is alone with her children. 'Some of us have no food, no shelter and no blankets. We sleep on the ground, and the children are dying of cold and hunger,' she says. Countless refugees still do not know the fate of relatives who remained in the DRC.
Maryam Batacoka with one of her three children, Promesse, in Busuma camp, and Esperance Malikia, with a goat on a rope, walking with her family and their livestock, illustrate the daily life amidst crisis.
