Reference :
V-P-BI-E-00183
Date :
03/03/2026
Caption :
Eastern Burundi, Buhumuza province, Busuma, a refugee camp hosting people from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chance Nalukanga Mbwebwe is taking care of two unaccompanied Congolese children while waiting for their parents to be found.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
My name is Nalukanga Mbwebwe Chance. I am from Kavimvira, in Uvira. I arrived in Burundi on December 9, 2025. I had to leave my village because of the bombings. I was injured because of them. There was an explosion, something hit me, and I fell. While fleeing, I found these two children. I knew them because they live in our area. Both of them were staying near the border. The boy, Yves, was crying. He told me, "I don’t know where my parents are," so we took him with us. Between our children and these two children, everything is going well. Their mother is in the DRC. She knows the children are here with me. She would like to take them back, but I am worried about them traveling alone. I am waiting for surgery, and once I recover, we will see how we can return.
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 :
6336x8448
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
