The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently seeking more than $30 million to keep providing food and nutritional assistance to Congolese refugees in Burundi, warning that supplies could run out as early as October 2026 without additional funding.
The agency says it needs $35 million to sustain food and nutrition support through August 2027. Although recent contributions from donors and the Burundian government have helped prevent an immediate interruption, the additional funding will only keep assistance going for a limited period.
For thousands of families who fled violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the shortage threatens one of their most important sources of food.
Thousands of Refugees Depend on Food Assistance
The funding crisis comes as Burundi continues to receive people escaping insecurity in eastern DR Congo.
According to the WFP, more than 130,000 refugees in Burundi, most of them Congolese, need food assistance. Renewed violence in eastern Congo since late 2025 has pushed more people across the border, placing additional pressure on humanitarian organisations already struggling with limited resources.
Many refugees arrive after leaving behind their homes, livelihoods and possessions. With limited opportunities to earn an income, some families depend heavily on food distributions and cash assistance to meet their daily needs.
Refugees Already Receiving Reduced Support
The funding shortage has already affected the amount of assistance available to refugees.
WFP says financial constraints have forced it to reduce food rations. The agency warns that a complete interruption would leave vulnerable families facing even greater difficulty obtaining enough food and meeting their nutritional needs.
At Busuma camp in eastern Burundi, which was established in December 2025, approximately 33,000 Congolese refugees are currently living, according to the latest Africanews report.
Some refugees have also raised concerns about difficult living conditions, including deteriorating tents and inadequate assistance to cover their basic needs.
How Much Money Does WFP Need?
The agency estimates that it requires around $5 million every month to support Congolese refugees and other refugees receiving assistance across Burundi.
Of that amount, approximately $1 million is needed monthly for Busuma camp alone.
Africanews reported that refugees receive about 38,000 Burundian francs per person each month, equivalent to approximately $12 at the reported exchange rate. Refugees say this support remains insufficient to meet all their needs.
Without additional contributions, WFP faces the possibility of ending food distributions while many families continue to depend on humanitarian assistance.
Why Burundi Is Struggling to Meet the Needs
Burundi is dealing with its own economic and food-security challenges, making it difficult to accommodate a large influx of refugees without international support.
The country faces widespread poverty, high food prices and recurring weather-related disruptions that affect farming and rural livelihoods. The arrival of refugees has increased demand for food, shelter and other essential services in communities already facing hardship.
WFP works with the Burundian government and humanitarian partners to support refugees and vulnerable local communities. However, the agency says the scale of the needs has stretched available resources.
WFP has warned that food assistance could stop entirely from October 2026 if new funding is not secured.
Such an interruption would leave refugees who have already experienced displacement facing further uncertainty over how to feed their families. Children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and other vulnerable people could be particularly affected by reduced access to nutritious food.
The agency is appealing to international donors and humanitarian partners to provide funding before supplies run out.
For Congolese refugees living in Burundi, the appeal is about more than keeping aid programmes operating. It is about maintaining access to food while families remain unable to return safely to their homes.
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