As fighting has intensified in recent days around the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) city of Uvira, tens of thousands of Congolese civilians have fled their homes, seeking safety in neighboring Burundi.
Since the beginning of December, nearly 90,000 Congolese have crossed into Burundi.
"We escaped from the DRC to Burundi by water. I came here running away from bullets and killings. I want to seek a peaceful life," said Billy Kanana, a Congolese refugee.
The sudden influx is putting considerable pressure on existing infrastructure in Burundi, with available resources stretched beyond capacity. Therefore, an urgent appeal from the Burundian government for national and international solidarity was issued to support ongoing efforts to address this humanitarian crisis.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the transit centers and informal settlements in Burundi receiving new arrivals have been already operating well beyond maximum capacity. The severe lack of water and deteriorating sanitary conditions are increasing the risk of outbreaks of deadly diseases such as cholera and monkeypox.
The Burundian government has designated Bweru in Ruyigi Buhumuza province in the east of the country as a new site for the ongoing arrivals, to ease congestion in existing sites, the UNHCR said. In mid December, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group announced that it had seized Uvira, the second-largest city in South Kivu near the Burundian border, amid the latest round of offensives in the province.
Uvira, located near the Burundian border on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, had served as the provisional administrative center of South Kivu after the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to the M23 in February.
Burundi sees influx of DR Congo refugees as conflict escalates
