Agency warns of food shortages as Congolese refugee numbers surge

A growing humanitarian crisis is unfolding in East Africa as thousands of refugees fleeing violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) overwhelm Burundi and Uganda.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that food shortages could escalate into a hunger emergency unless urgent support is provided.

In the Burundian town of Rugombo, thousands of Congolese refugees, including Mapendo and her family, have sought safety. Many are forced to sleep in the open near a makeshift refugee centre.

"The outfit I am wearing is all I have," said Mapendo, a mother who escaped with her children. "This is also the case of my children."

Burundi has received nearly 66,000 Congolese refugees, with the number of new arrivals doubling in recent weeks. WFP Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa Dragica Pajevic described the increase as alarming.

"In just a matter of weeks, the number of new arrivals has skyrocketed, doubling at an alarming pace," Pajevic said.

The WFP, working alongside the Burundian government and aid agencies, is providing food at transit centres, schools, and churches.

However, resources are running thin as the number of refugees under WFP assistance has surged to 120,000. The agency warns that without additional funding, food aid may be halted by July.

"The international community must act now to prevent an escalating hunger crisis," Pajevic urged.

The crisis extends beyond Burundi, with Uganda also facing an overwhelming influx of refugees. Many new arrivals bring harrowing accounts of the violence they endured. Muisa, a former fish seller from Goma, recalled the horror of an attack that changed her life.

"Gunshots echoed through the market," she said. "People fell, including a friend shot dead right behind me."

She was later raped by armed fighters, while her husband was killed at home. She fled to Uganda with two of her children, though four remain in Goma.

"Now, all I long for is peace – a place where my children can go to school, where fear doesn’t shadow every step," she said.

Amadi, another refugee, fled Goma with his wife and six children as violence spread. He struggled to provide for his family before escaping to Uganda.

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"Schools closed, streets emptied, and I couldn’t sell," he said. "The family survived on scraps of food from neighbours before heading to Uganda."

Uganda hosts 1.7 million refugees, the highest number in Africa, and WFP is already assisting 1.4 million of them. However, funding shortages are threatening the food supply. Overcrowded transit centres are struggling to keep up, with WFP providing hot meals and high-energy biscuits as food aid runs low.

"I wish for a day when refugees like us can live, not just endure," said Amadi. "My message to the world echoes that hope: pray for peace, so we might rise again."

Conditions in Burundi remain dire. In Rugombo, more than 40,000 refugees are crammed into makeshift shelters around a sports stadium. Local health facilities are overwhelmed, increasing the spread of cholera, measles, and malaria.

Despite ongoing food deliveries, the rations are not enough.

"The meals are so small, I leave my portion to my children," said Mapendo, who has no other way to support her family.

Promesse, another refugee, fled Uvira in South Kivu province with her three children after being separated from her husband. The journey took three days, including a boat crossing into Burundi.

"We get food, but it is not enough," she said. "There are many mosquitoes, and our children are at risk of malaria."

Currently, Promesse and her children are staying at a school. However, with classes set to resume soon, their future is uncertain.

"When classes resume," she said, "we will be forced to sleep outside."