Reference :
V-P-BI-E-00218
Date :
04/03/2026
Caption :
Eastern Burundi, Buhumuza province, Busuma, a refugee camp hosting people from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Estelle Tilifoza, a Congolese refugee from the town of Baraka, fled to Burundi.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
Estelle Tilifoza traveled from Rumonge, in southern Burundi, with her husband and five children. "Life isn’t easy," she says. "We have neither a home nor enough food. We also don’t have enough blankets. I’d like to go back home, but I don’t know what the security situation is like in my hometown. To get here, we crossed Lake Tanganyika. I was scared because it was my first time traveling on a lake. We lost all our belongings in the water during the crossing. I was sick. I’ll never forget that terrifying journey."
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 :
3977x5965
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
