Mass displacement in South Kivu and Burundi due to conflict

Conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has triggered massive population displacements. In South Kivu, thousands of residents, including many women and children, have fled fighting between the RFN and the army supported by Wazalendo. Local civil society reports that approximately 12,000 households have been displaced from the Kaziba area following ten days of clashes. Displaced populations are arriving in Rurambo and surrounding areas, where many are left without shelter, food, or humanitarian assistance.

In Burundi, the Cishemere transit camp is hosting 2,969 Congolese refugees fleeing the violence. Refugees at the camp report extreme precariousness, including a lack of housing, insufficient food, and children being deprived of schooling for nearly two years. Some refugees expressed profound distress and fear, noting that they still feel threatened by the proximity of military activity and are calling for urgent intervention to improve their living conditions.