From the dream of emergence to the reality of hunger : Burundi at the end of its rope

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 20, 2025 – While the authorities promise to elevate Burundi to the rank of an emerging country by 2040, the daily realities paint a bleak picture : chronic fuel shortages, soaring prices, and deteriorating living conditions, affecting the health, education, and nutrition of families.

A crisis that is impacting daily life

In the commercial capital, Bujumbura, as in the countryside, the reports are alarming : shortages are paralyzing transportation, markets are emptying, and prices are reaching levels unaffordable for the majority.

“We spend entire nights in queues hoping for a little gas. Even when we find some, it’s at a price only the wealthiest can afford,” says a motorcyclist from Bujumbura.

This situation is not limited to fuel : it has a domino effect throughout the consumption chain.

Food prices that are causing starvation

Basic foodstuffs—beans, rice, potatoes, peas, corn and cassava flour, bananas—have sometimes tripled in just a few months.

“We don’t understand how to feed our families.” “With what I earn a day, I can’t even buy a kilo of beans anymore,” confides a resident of Gitega, the country’s political capital.

Malnutrition is increasing in the poorest households, especially in rural areas where families depend largely on subsistence farming. Some parents report reducing meals to just one a day so their children can eat.

Education and health are suffering

The cost of transportation and school supplies prevents many children from attending school regularly. In some health centers, a lack of fuel is hampering the distribution of medicines and complicating access to care.

“My daughter has been sick for two days, but I can’t afford the taxi to take her to the hospital,” explains a mother from Cibitoke, in the northwest of the country.

A disconnect from the official narrative

While the population struggles with this reality, the government continues to promote the vision of a Burundi emerging by 2040 and developed by 2060.

“It’s good to dream about 2040, but today we’re hungry. We must first save the present before planning for the future,” complains a teacher from Ngozi, in the north.

Urgent measures called for

Citizens’ expectations are clear : stabilize the Burundi franc, facilitate access to foreign currency for imports, support farmers and transporters, and combat the corruption that plagues the supply chain.

While waiting for concrete solutions, Burundians continue to face a crisis with multiple repercussions : it weakens families, hinders children’s education, and jeopardizes the health of the most vulnerable.