Nyarugusu (Tanzania) : a hospital closed, Burundian refugees contact the UNHCR

SOS Médias Burundi

Nyarugusu, September 11, 2025 – The NGO Medical Team International has closed one of its hospitals in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, a decision that has sparked anger and despair among Burundian refugees. This hospital, located in Zone 10, primarily served children under five years of age and pregnant women, representing a particularly vulnerable group.

A closure that hits the most vulnerable

The Nyarugusu camp is home to more than 110,000 refugees, including more than 50,000 Burundians, according to the UNHCR. For the beneficiaries of this medical facility, its closure is a real blow :

“They’ve just hit hard because the hospital served as a lung for us, as it was mainly children under five years of age and pregnant women who were treated there,” lamented Burundian leaders.

This is the fourth hospital to be closed in the space of a year, after those in Zones 9 and 11, again on the side of Burundian refugees.

“Only one remains in Zone 8. Do you think it will be enough to serve a population of over 50,000? I don’t believe it!” worryingly said a Burundian medical volunteer, pointing to a disparity with Congolese refugees : “If medical or hospital staff have to be reduced, it’s always Burundians who are the victims, while our Congolese brothers are living it up.”

The UNHCR receives complaints

The bad news came last weekend, a few hours before the visit of the Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, responsible for protection, to Geneva. Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela arrived in Tanzania on Monday to visit the Nyarugusu camp the following day.

The Burundian refugee leaders took advantage of this visit to present her with a document detailing their complaints :

“We described the entire ordeal we are enduring here in the camp : violations of our rights, threats of forced repatriation, unjustified decisions to close hospitals and schools, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests…”, explained a signatory.

However, during her speech, the UNHCR representative made no mention of these complaints.

“Nothing surprising! The main thing is that we did our duty to sound the alarm.” “The UNHCR won’t say it was informed,” the refugees responded.

A meeting with Tanzanian authorities

Ms. Menikdiwela met with refugees’ representatives and Tanzanian authorities.

“I had a productive meeting with the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Refugees. We discussed ways to address the protracted refugee situation in the country. It is an honor to be here and to collaborate on durable solutions for refugees,” she wrote on her X account.

She also reminded the Burundian refugees that the repatriation should be voluntary and considered, which seemed to bring some relief.

“We hope she discussed this with the Tanzanian authorities so that they stop forcing us. We believe this was the objective of her visit after several alarms from refugees and human rights defenders,” said a leader from one of the camp’s areas.

Ms. Menikdiwela also plans to visit the Nduta camp, which hosts more than 58,000 Burundian refugees, before the end of her mission in Tanzania.