The World Food Programme (WFP) is facing a severe strain on its food assistance operations in Burundi as the country experiences its largest refugee influx in decades. Since January 2025, nearly 70,000 people—primarily women, children, and the elderly—have fled escalating violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to seek refuge in Burundi. Many have undertaken perilous river crossings and walked long distances in search of safety.
The situation is rapidly deteriorating as more refugees arrive daily, further stretching the already limited resources of humanitarian agencies. Similar movements are being observed in neighboring Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, worsening food insecurity across the region. WFP’s Deputy Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Dragica Pajevic, who is currently in Burundi to support relief efforts, described the worsening crisis “Refugees are arriving every day, some weighed down with hastily packed bundles and suitcases, and others with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The number of refugees has doubled in just a few weeks, but funding has not kept pace. Our available resources are stretched beyond capacity, forcing us to adapt our operations and reduce rations to reach as many people as possible.”
Of the 70,000 Congolese refugees who have recently entered Burundi, WFP has registered 60,000 for food assistance, doubling its refugee caseload to 120,000 in just a matter of weeks. WFP is providing hot meals at temporary transit centers set up in schools, churches, and sports stadiums to accommodate the new arrivals. However, due to limited funding, WFP was forced to cut food rations for existing refugees from 75% to 50% in March, in an effort to stretch supplies.
Currently, WFP has enough funds to support 120,000 refugees until June 2025, but if additional funding is not secured, food assistance could be completely suspended by July—or sooner, if refugee numbers continue to rise.
The organization has issued an urgent appeal for $19.8 million to sustain food aid operations until the end of 2025, warning that without immediate support, thousands of vulnerable refugees could face severe hunger and malnutrition. With the conflict in eastern DRC showing no signs of de-escalation, humanitarian groups fear that the crisis will deepen, leaving Burundi and its neighbors struggling to cope with the surging refugee population.
