Photo credit: news.un.org
“We’re pushed to our limits,” states Ayaki Ito, the Director for Emergencies at the UNHCR.
In a poignant account shared by Mr. Ito, one mother, desperate for safety, undertook a treacherous journey across the 100-metre wide Rusizi River, which marks the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi. With her three young children and their few belongings, she used a plastic sheet to fashion a floating makeshift raft. “It’s a very perilous journey,” Mr. Ito noted, highlighting the dangers posed by wildlife including crocodiles and hippos.
Overstretched resources
The ongoing violence in eastern DRC has compelled over 71,000 individuals to flee into Burundi since January, according to UNHCR data. While more than 12,300 have been relocated to the Musenyi refugee site, many are relying on support from host communities near the border.
The living conditions at the Musenyi site, situated five hours from the DRC border, are rapidly deteriorating. Designed to accommodate just 3,000 individuals, the site is now home to 16,000 residents, leading to heightened tensions among those seeking refuge. “Food rations have already been cut to half of what is necessary,” Mr. Ito reported, raising alarms that current supplies may deplete by the end of June without urgent additional funding.
In addition to food shortages, the arrival of the rainy season has caused flooding in lowland areas where emergency tents were established. Aid workers are preparing for an increase in disease outbreaks as conditions worsen.
Those who fled violence in the DRC are now accessing a water point at a refugee camp in Cibitoke Province, but comprehensive support is lacking. “Schools, clinics, and fundamental sanitation systems are either insufficient or completely overwhelmed,” Mr. Ito commented, emphasizing that nearly 11,000 women and girls currently lack access to basic hygiene items, as the agency has run out of dignity kits.
Funding crisis cutbacks
The ongoing funding crisis at UNHCR has critically diminished support for essential services, particularly family tracing efforts aimed at reuniting separated children with their relatives.
Unfortunately, there are currently no safe spaces designed specifically for women and children to receive services and emotional support in key host areas, Mr. Ito added.
The dire conditions in Burundi, compounded by the violent skirmishes in eastern DRC involving Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and government forces, have resulted in refugees frequently moving between the two nations. “Nearly half of the 700 newly registered refugees last week had previously been documented in Burundi,” noted the UN official, who highlighted the extreme vulnerability of Congolese refugees.
In light of these challenging circumstances, the UN agency has stressed the need to prioritize the delivery of lifesaving aid and protection services, even amidst a 60 percent rise in reported cases of sexual violence, particularly rape, in the DRC.
“This balancing act is becoming increasingly impossible,” warned Mr. Ito, as local teams carry out comprehensive emergency responses while striving to address the needs of current refugees. All of this occurs amid mounting pressure to curtail operations due to dwindling funding.
Source
news.un.org