CDH-VICAR Highlights Insufficient Food Assistance for Burundian Refugees in DRC

On 21 October 2025, Burundian refugees living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) received a long-awaited distribution of food assistance after more than ten months without aid. The last support provided was in December 2024, when refugees received 32,000 Congolese francs in cash assistance. This prolonged interruption left families in a vulnerable state, struggling to meet even their most basic nutritional needs.

The latest assistance, however, is grossly insufficient. Each refugee received only 12 kg of maize flour and 45 g of vegetable oil, quantities far below what is required for sustenance. Families already enduring extreme precarity face daily threats to survival, and this limited distribution does little to alleviate the persistent hunger and malnutrition affecting camp populations.

This situation underscores the broader humanitarian neglect endured by Burundian refugees in DRC. Inadequate support and prolonged gaps in assistance exacerbate vulnerabilities, undermine health and well-being, and increase reliance on negative coping strategies. CDH/VICAR stresses that humanitarian commitments must meet the minimum standards of adequacy, ensuring refugees are not left to face life-threatening shortages.

CDH/VICAR calls on humanitarian agencies and local authorities to urgently increase the quantity and frequency of food distributions, aligning assistance with the real needs of refugee families. As part of its protection-monitoring mandate, CDH/VICAR will continue to document these deficiencies, advocate for adequate humanitarian response, and hold relevant actors accountable for ensuring the survival and dignity of Burundian refugees in DRC.