Kavumu : a crumbling road stifles humanitarian and economic access

SOS Médias Burundi

Cankuzo, October 28, 2025 – In Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi, the road linking the Kavumu refugee camp to the National Road number 13, passing through the towns of Bweru and the provincial town center, has become a real ordeal for users, especially during the rainy season. This section, crucial for the delivery of humanitarian aid and for economic activities, is now in a state of advanced disrepair.

Severe consequences for refugees and the host community

Humanitarian trucks, tasked with supplying the camp, are struggling to reach it. In some cases, the WFP (World Food Program) is forced to use taxis to transport food aid, as heavy trucks can no longer use the roads. As a result, the quantity transported is limited, disrupting the regularity of distributions.

Alphonse, a refugee in the camp involved in small-scale trade, testifies :

“To get to Cankuzo to buy goods, I spend up to 70,000 Burundi francs round trip, with my luggage. This is an unsustainable expense for a small trader. Because of the cost of transportation, we are constantly incurring losses in our businesses.”

Samuel, another refugee, emphasizes the impact on food distribution :

“Since the beginning of the rainy season, food trucks no longer arrive at the camp regularly.” The WFP and its partners have to use taxis to transport food for more than 20,000 people. This takes several days, delaying distribution and exacerbating hunger.

A nightmare for local motorcyclists and transporters

For motorcyclists, this road is also a daily nightmare.

“Transporting one person without luggage between Bweru and Kavumu costs 15,000 Burundi francs. But between Kavumu and the provincial town center, it’s 30,000 Burundi francs for a single passenger! The road is damaging our motorcycles. Customers complain about the prices, but we have no choice,” explains a motorcyclist from the host community, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A rehabilitation project that is slow to materialize

Despite the hopes placed in the PRODECI-Turikumwe project, which promised to rehabilitate this road, no work has yet begun. For refugees as well as for host populations, this road represents a real obstacle, while it should be a vital link to humanitarian aid, mobility and economic survival.