Reference :
V-P-BI-E-00196
Date :
04/03/2026
Caption :
Eastern Burundi, Buhumuza province, Busuma, a refugee camp hosting people from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Esperance Sakina Hatari, originally from Mutarule, a village in South Kivu, arrived at the camp in December 2025.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
Esperance now spends her days making charcoal near the entrance of the camp, hoping to earn a little money. “It’s not easy for us refugees because we left everything behind when we fled. We left with nothing. We came with our children, that’s all. Some of us have no food, no shelter, and no blankets. We sleep on the ground, and the children are dying of cold and hunger,” said Esperance. “My husband and I were separated. He is there, and I am here alone with the children. Many families have been separated.” Like Esperance and her children, many families arrived with almost nothing. Countless refugees still do not know the fate of their relatives who remained in Congo.
Since early 2025, clashes have intensified in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, displacing hundreds of thousands of people across the region. Tens of thousands have fled to Burundi, where more than 80,000 Congolese refugees are seeking safety in overcrowded camps such as Busuma, Musenyi and Cishemere. This sudden influx has placed significant pressure on Burundi’s limited resources. The ICRC is working in collaboration with the Burundi Red Cross to provide essential humanitarian services, such as water trucking and disinfection operations. Together, they are also striving to reunite families separated by the conflict by helping them restore contact with their loved ones.
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
8448x6336
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
