Geneva — The deepening funding crunch is threatening humanitarian work on another international crisis, the UN is warning: the response in Burundi to the growing influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
"It is being pushed to its limits as the deepening funding crisis threatens critical aid and strains relations between refugees and the host community," UNHCR's director for emergencies, Ayaki Ito, said at an April 25 UN press conference in Geneva.
"New arrivals fleeing conflict in the DRC have led to the first new refugee emergency unfolding amid the current global humanitarian funding crisis, and the consequences are already stark," said Ito.
He explained that UNHCR and its partners are continuing their work to maximize available resources and provide life-saving assistance and protection services.
"But the growing needs, coupled with extreme funding gaps, have left the response falling short. Without enough support, refugees are being forced to make difficult decisions to survive," said Ito.
Since January, more than 71,000 people have crossed into Burundi, fleeing ongoing violence in the eastern part of the DRC.
In the same period, more than 12,300 refugees went to the Musenyi refugee site, located in the east of Burundi, about five hours by road from the border with the DRC.
Unsustainable living conditions
"The living conditions in the Musenyi refugee site, which now hosts some 16,000 refugees – are becoming unsustainable," said Ito.
Due to overcrowding, emergency tents had to be pitched in lowland areas initially designated for farming.
Yet with the rainy season starting, many are flooded, further compromising living conditions and increasing disease risks.
"Basic services such as schools, clinics, and sanitation facilities are either non-existent or overwhelmed, with tensions rising between pre-existing refugee communities and recent arrivals," said Ito.
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He rued that due to significant funding shortfalls, UNHCR and its partners are facing critical limitations in providing protection services to survivors of gender-based violence and unaccompanied or separated children.
"UNHCR is no longer able to distribute dignity kits, leaving nearly 11,000 women and girls without access to basic hygiene items," said the UNHCR official.
"Support for family tracing has also been severely reduced, making it increasingly difficult to identify, locate, and reunite separated children with their families," he said.
There are currently no child-friendly or women-friendly spaces where groups can gather for services and peer support in key hosting areas.
In January 2025, the situation in the DRC worsened with fighting between government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group escalating.
The hostilities are unfolding in a mineral-rich region where armed groups have proliferated, making it volatile for decades.
