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“We are reaching our breaking point,” warned Ayaki Ito, Director of Emergencies at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Mr. Ito described a harrowing scene where a mother, desperate to find safety, crossed the Rusizi River — a 100-metre-wide stretch of water separating the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from Burundi — with her three young children and all their possessions:
“I saw what looked like a ball of plastic sheeting — it was a mother with her three small children, using the plastic to keep them and their belongings afloat,” he said. “It’s an extremely dangerous journey, plagued by crocodiles and hippos.”
Overwhelmed Resources
Since January, over 71,000 people have fled violence in eastern DRC and crossed into Burundi, according to UNHCR data. Of these, more than 12,300 refugees have been resettled at Musenyi refugee site, while many others are living with host families in nearby communities.
Conditions at Musenyi — situated five hours from the DRC border — have become critical. Originally built to accommodate just 3,000 people, the site now houses over 16,000, straining already limited resources and increasing tensions.
“Food rations have already been cut to half of the intended amount,” Mr. Ito explained, warning that even this meager supply is expected to run out by the end of June without urgent new funding.
Challenges extend beyond food shortages. Emergency tents, hastily erected on farmland, are now flooded due to the rainy season, raising concerns about a surge in waterborne diseases.
The UNHCR’s ability to respond is being severely hindered by a major funding shortfall. Essential services such as family reunification support have been drastically reduced, hampering efforts to trace and reunite children separated from their families.
Additionally, there are no designated safe spaces for children or women where they can access services and community support in key hosting areas, Mr. Ito said.
Faced with the dire living conditions in Burundi and continued violence in eastern DRC — where government forces are clashing with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels — many refugees are caught in a cycle of displacement. “Nearly half of the 700 refugees who arrived last week had previously been registered in Burundi,” Mr. Ito revealed, emphasizing that Congolese refugees remain among the most vulnerable globally.
Despite dwindling resources, UNHCR maintains that providing life-saving aid and protection remains a top priority, especially in light of a 60 per cent rise in reported sexual violence cases — most involving rape — within the DRC.
“Trying to balance all these demands is becoming nearly impossible,” Mr. Ito said. “Our teams on the ground are carrying out a full emergency response, attending to the needs of both newly arrived and existing refugees, preparing for additional displacements — all while facing mounting pressure to scale back operations due to funding constraints.”
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6 responses to “DR Congo Crisis Drives Refugees to Swim Across to Burundi”
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Oh, swimming across a river with kids and a plastic bag—sounds like the perfect family holiday activity! 🌊 Just hope the crocodiles and hippos are feeling generous this time.
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Quite the swim class we’ve got here, eh? Who needs Olympic training when you’ve got crocodiles and chronic underfunding to keep you on your toes! 🐊🏊♂️
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Oh, what a delightful situation we have here! If only the river between DRC and Burundi came with a lifeguard and a cocktail bar, maybe these poor souls could enjoy their swim instead of dodging hippos and starvation. 🌊🤷♂️
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Crossing the Rusizi River with a bunch of kids on a homemade raft? Now that’s what I call a family vacation with a twist! 🌊🏊♀️ Who needs theme parks when you’ve got crocodiles and hippos for entertainment? 😂
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Just brilliant! Who needs a relaxing vacation when you can take a delightful swim across a river filled with crocodiles just to escape violence? 😅 Fancy a holiday in Burundi, anyone?
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Oh, swimming across crocodile-infested rivers with your kids and a plastic sheet—just the kind of family outing you’d expect in the heart of Europe, right? 🏊♀️🎒 Who needs a beach vacation when you can turn survival into an extreme sport?
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