The United Nations has reported that around 42,000 people have fled the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and crossed into Burundi over the past two weeks.
The fighting, largely driven by M23 fighters, has seen the capture of key cities like Goma and Bukavu, escalating concerns of a broader regional conflict.
The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, had initially anticipated that the violence would lead to a significant number of refugees entering Burundi, and had prepared to assist up to 58,000 people over a three-month period.
However, Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, the agency’s representative in Burundi, revealed that the actual number of arrivals in the first two weeks has already reached 42,000.
Over 36,000 of these refugees have crossed the Rusizi river, while around 6,000 have sought refuge at a transit centre near Bujumbura, Burundi’s largest city.
The scale of the crisis has been striking, with one day last week seeing more than 9,000 people crossing into Burundi.
Mukanga-Eno expressed that both the government and humanitarian organisations in Burundi are struggling to keep up with the surge in refugees.
In response to the crisis, the UNHCR is seeking $40.4 million in funding to enhance their efforts and provide vital protection and support to 275,000 internally displaced people in DR Congo’s South Kivu, North Kivu, Maniema, and Tanganyika provinces.
