A severe humanitarian emergency is unfolding along the Burundi–Democratic Republic of Congo border, with UN agencies confirming a growing death toll among Congolese refugees fleeing renewed fighting in eastern DRC.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said at least 53 Congolese refugees have died in Burundi since the latest influx began, mainly due to disease and malnutrition in overcrowded transit centers. Cholera alone has claimed 25 lives, according to joint assessments with the World Health Organization.
The crisis was triggered by intensified fighting in South Kivu following the capture of Uvira by M23 rebels. Since early December 2025, more than 100,000 Congolese have crossed into Burundi, pushing the total refugee population above 200,000.
Aid groups warn that transit sites are severely overstretched, water supplies are critically low, and children and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable. UN officials caution that without a rapid scale-up of humanitarian assistance, the death toll is likely to rise further in the coming weeks.
