More than 84,000 people have fled to Burundi from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since early December, escaping intense fighting as the M23 rebel group seized the strategic border city of Uvira.
The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR warned on Friday that Burundi had reached a critical point, with thousands crossing the border daily on foot or by boat, overwhelming local resources.
Sharp rise in arrivals
The exodus began on 5 December and surged after M23 fighters captured Uvira on 10 December. UNHCR said the influx had created a major humanitarian emergency requiring immediate global support.
More than 200,000 Congolese now live as refugees in Burundi, adding to an already heavy burden on the small nation.
Women and children form the majority of the new arrivals. Many reach the border exhausted and severely traumatised after days of walking through conflict zones.
“Women and children are particularly affected, arriving exhausted and severely traumatised,” UNHCR said. Field teams reported meeting pregnant women who had not eaten for days.
Dire conditions in reception areas
In transit sites and makeshift camps along the border, families sleep under trees with little shelter from rain or sun. Clean water, sanitation and medical care remain in short supply, raising fears of disease outbreaks.
About half of the displaced are children under 18. Many women are pregnant or travelling with infants.
Burundian officials say reception capacity has been completely overwhelmed.
Ezechiel Nibigira, current president of the Economic Community of Central African States, reported 25,000 refugees in Gatumba in western Burundi and nearly 40,000 in Buganda further northwest.
“Most of them are completely destitute,” he said.
In Rumonge province, administrator Augustin Minani called the situation catastrophic. Speaking to *AFP*, he said the vast majority of arrivals were dying of hunger.
Refugees described heavy bombing and artillery fire to aid workers. Some witnessed family members killed in the violence. Others had to abandon elderly relatives who could no longer walk.
M23 claims withdrawal amid scepticism
The M23 rebel group announced on Wednesday that it would pull out of Uvira, describing the move as a trust-building measure to support United States- and Qatar-mediated peace talks.
Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya rejected the claim as a diversion designed to reduce international pressure on Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the rebels.
Local sources in Uvira told reporters on Thursday that M23 police and intelligence officers remained visible on city streets, casting doubt on the withdrawal.
Strategic advance in mineral-rich east
The capture of Uvira marks another significant gain for M23 this year. The Tutsi-led movement took Goma, capital of North Kivu province, in January and Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, in February.
Control of Uvira gives the rebels influence over large areas of the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and cuts a key supply route for government forces along the Burundian border.
The offensive began less than a week after Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met United States President Donald Trump in Washington to reaffirm commitment to a recent peace accord.
Washington criticised the Uvira takeover sharply, warning of consequences for what it called Rwanda’s violation of the agreement. Rwanda continues to deny any support for M23.
Roots of a long-running conflict
The M23, named after a 23 March 2009 peace deal its members say was never fully implemented, largely comprises Tutsi fighters. The group was defeated in 2013 but resurfaced in late 2021.
United Nations experts and the Democratic Republic of the Congo government have repeatedly accused Rwanda of providing weapons, troops and logistical support to M23. Kigali insists it only defends its border against Congolese forces and allied militias hostile to Rwanda’s Tutsi community.
Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has endured decades of violence involving more than 100 armed groups competing for land, power and lucrative minerals such as coltan, gold and tin.
The broader crisis has displaced more than seven million people across the region, creating one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies, according to UNHCR.
The latest fighting since early December has killed more than 400 civilians and displaced over 200,000 inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, regional officials and aid organisations report.
Urgent call for aid
Aid agencies are appealing for urgent international funding to feed, shelter and protect the new arrivals in Burundi.
Without rapid support, officials warn, health and nutrition conditions could deteriorate rapidly, particularly for vulnerable children and pregnant women.
Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries, already hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees and struggles to meet basic needs.
The continuing advance of M23 and persistent accusations against Rwanda have dimmed hopes for lasting peace, despite recent diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Qatar and regional powers.
Agencies contributed to this report
