UNHCR Warns Burundi Refugee Crisis Worsening Amid Funding Gap

Following an official visit last week, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, warned of a widening gap between humanitarian needs and available resources.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is urgently appealing for increased international funding as Burundi struggles to cope with a sharp surge in refugees fleeing escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In just three months, more than 90,000 people have crossed into Burundi from eastern DRC, including 10,000 Burundian nationals returning home after escaping the conflict. The influx is placing severe strain on a country that already hosts over 230,000 refugees, the majority from the DRC.

Only 20% of $35 Million Appeal Funded

UNHCR says it requires $35 million this year to provide lifesaving assistance in Burundi. To date, only 20 per cent of that funding has been secured.

Following an official visit last week, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, warned of a widening gap between humanitarian needs and available resources.

“Burundi has shown generosity in hosting tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in eastern DRC,” Menikdiwela said. “This must be matched by stronger international solidarity and immediate, sustained funding. Without it, lives are at risk.”

Overcrowding and Disease Threats

At the Busuma refugee site — now sheltering more than 66,000 Congolese refugees who have arrived since late 2025 — UNHCR reported acute shortages of clean water, food, medicine, shelter and protection services.

Nearly 10,000 additional refugees remain stranded in transit centres, awaiting transfer to Busuma, which is already beyond capacity. Overcrowded conditions are heightening the risk of cholera outbreaks and other preventable diseases.

UNHCR stressed that large, isolated refugee sites are a short-term solution and called for greater investment in community-based hosting models that support both refugees and local Burundian communities.

Return Pressures Add to Strain

The humanitarian burden is compounded by the ongoing voluntary return of Burundian refugees from neighbouring countries — particularly Tanzania.

Since 2017, more than 300,000 Burundian refugees have returned from across the region. In just the first two months of 2026, more than 28,000 have returned from Tanzania alone — including 8,000 in the past week, far exceeding the agreed weekly target of 3,000 under a November 2025 Tripartite Commission agreement between Burundi, Tanzania and UNHCR.

At the Nyabitare transit centre near the Tanzanian border, Menikdiwela observed overcrowded conditions and limited resources for returnees, many of whom had spent nearly a decade in exile.

UNHCR has raised concerns that during accelerated returns from Tanzania, refugee shelters were reportedly demolished, forcing people into congested departure centres. Allegations of mistreatment have also been reported.

The agency says it continues to engage with Tanzanian authorities to ensure all returns are voluntary, safe and dignified, in line with international refugee law.

Calls for Development Support

Reception and transit facilities in Burundi are described as severely overstretched, with limited staffing and shrinking resources on both sides of the border.

UNHCR is urging development partners to increase support not only for emergency relief but also for long-term reintegration efforts.

“Increased return pressures, reduced resources and limited staffing are straining operations on both sides of the border,” Menikdiwela said.

“We urge the international community to step up support to ensure returnees can reintegrate in their communities and live in dignity.”

With violence in eastern DRC continuing and returns from Tanzania accelerating, UNHCR warns that without immediate funding and coordinated international backing, humanitarian conditions in Burundi risk deteriorating further in the months ahead.