Congolese refugees living at the Makombe site, in the district and province of Rumonge (southwestern Burundi), face serious difficulties accessing healthcare. Despite the presence of humanitarian organizations and basic infrastructure, the refugee population faces numerous obstacles in receiving adequate medical care.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Refugees at the Makombe site denounce the lack of suitable health centers and the shortage of qualified medical personnel.

« We sometimes have to travel several kilometers in a bid to reach a health center, and even there, there isn’t always medicine, » explains Marie, a mother of three. Existing infrastructure is often overloaded and insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population.

Prohibitive costs and inadequate care

In addition to the scarcity of care, the cost of consultations and medications is another major obstacle. « We don’t have the money to pay for care. When a child gets sick, we often have to manage on our own, » confides Jean-Pierre, a father.

Some NGOs present on the site are trying to provide emergency assistance, but financial and material resources are limited.

Frequent illnesses and increased vulnerability

Overcrowding and precarious living conditions promote the spread of respiratory illnesses, digestive disorders, and infectious diseases. The lack of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities exacerbates the situation.

« We are facing a resurgence of malaria and diarrhea cases, especially among children, » warns a local Red Cross official.

A call for urgent mobilization

Faced with this alarming situation, refugees and humanitarian actors are calling for urgent intervention from the authorities and the international community.

« We need medicine, health personnel, and better infrastructure, » pleads a representative of the refugee community.

According to the UNHCR, Burundi, which already hosted approximately 90,000 Congolese refugees, has welcomed more than 100,000 new refugees fleeing the crisis in the east of the vast central African country in the past two months.

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A Congolese refugee prepares her child before being relocated to a refugee site in southeastern Burundi, March 2025 (SOS Médias Burundi)