Aid cuts leave Congolese refugees in Burundi facing starvation and violence

Claude fears for his life, worried he might soon succumb to starvation or violence while waiting at a food distribution point in a refugee camp in Burundi.

He is one of thousands of Congolese refugees caught in a dire situation, stuck between ongoing conflict in their home country and drastic cuts to international food aid.

Claude, a former bouncer from Uvira in eastern DRC, fled to Burundi in February to escape escalating violence linked to the M23 rebel group, which is reportedly backed by Rwanda.

He recalls the chaos he left behind gunfire, killings, and widespread sexual violence.

Now residing in the packed Musenyi refugee camp, the 25-year-old faces a new threat: hunger. Food aid has drastically declined, forcing Claude to join security patrols to protect the camp’s dwindling supplies from theft and unrest.

“When I got here, I received 3.5 kg of rice each month. Now it’s just 1 kg. Peas have dropped from 3 kg to 1.8 kg. The tomato sauce I get lasts only a day,” he says. Some residents have resorted to slashing others’ tents in desperation, while criminal gangs exploit the situation, spreading fear.

“The reduction in aid will spark more crime,” Claude warns.

Oscar Niyibizi, the camp’s deputy head, calls the food cuts a “major challenge” that threatens camp stability.

While encouraging refugees to grow food nearby, he stresses that humanitarian support remains urgently needed.

Aid cutbacks by the Trump administration, amounting to an 80% reduction along with declining contributions from other Western nations, have forced many NGOs and UN agencies to either shut down or drastically scale back operations in Burundi.

Geoffrey Kirenga, Save the Children’s head of mission in Burundi, says the timing couldn't be worse as conflict intensifies in eastern DRC. Burundi, already one of the poorest nations globally, has received over 71,000 Congolese refugees since January, while still accommodating thousands displaced by earlier crises.

Musenyi camp, originally built for 10,000, now hosts nearly double that number. With limited resources, humanitarian groups have had to suspend critical services, including support for survivors of sexual violence who are numerous in the camp.

Kirenga warns that unless aid resumes, “deaths from hunger” could become a grim reality.

The World Food Program has already halved food rations since March and cautions that without renewed U.S. support, assistance may cease entirely by November.

Desperation has pushed some refugees to risk crossing back into conflict zones in the DRC in search of food.