Reference :
V-P-BI-E-00289
Date :
02/03/2026
Caption :
Southern Burundi, Burunga province, Musenyi, a refugee camp hosting people from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Furaha Salima lives in the Musenyi camp with her six children and a young girl, Bulonze Mulume, who lost her parents while fleeing to escape the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
"I was at home when I heard gunshots getting dangerously close. I immediately gathered the children, and we fled. When we reached the Rusizi River, which marks the border between the DRC and Burundi, we came across Bulonze Mulume. The young girl was alone, abandoned to her fate. We decided to take her with us. At that time, I was several months pregnant. We arrived at the Musenyi camp on February 21, 2025, and it was here, at the camp's clinic, that I gave birth to my child. Shortly after, we began the process with the ICRC to try to locate Bulonze's parents. Unfortunately, we have not found anyone yet, and we are not even sure we have the correct address.
In addition to taking care of Bulonze, I had no news of my husband. For many months, I believed he was dead. It was only after a long period of uncertainty that we were finally able to communicate. He had taken refuge in the hills to escape the violence. Today, he is trying to join us from a transit center, but in the meantime, I am taking care of my six children as well as Bulonze, who is now part of our family. To support us, I run a small business: I sell charcoal and vegetables that I buy at the main market. However, life in the Musenyi camp is not always easy. Just yesterday, we were victims of a robbery. Someone took our money and our radio. Two of my children saw the thief, and now he claims he will return what he stole.
Despite the insecurity and the many challenges, I feel safer here than in the place I may no longer be able to call 'home.”
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 :
5091x6788
Orientation :
portrait
Colour/B&W :
colour
