Kavumu : the halt in briquette distribution exposes refugees to grave dangers

SOS Médias Burundi

Kavumu, November 3, 2025 – The situation is becoming critical at the Kavumu refugee camp, located in the district of Cankuzo, in Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi. This camp hosts more than 20,000 people. The monthly distribution of briquettes, essential for cooking and heating, did not take place in October and is not expected to resume for several months. This interruption is already having serious humanitarian consequences, including a surge in sexual violence.

Deprived of briquettes, refugees must travel long distances to obtain wood or charcoal—a dangerous task, especially for women and girls.

“We often travel very far to collect leftover charcoal from kilns or on the plots of land belonging to Burundians in neighboring villages. Some men ask us for sexual favors in exchange. Some women have been victims of violence, but they don’t dare speak about it,” testifies a refugee, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A bag of charcoal costs between 20,000 and 30,000 Burundi francs, an unaffordable sum for most families already struggling financially.

A crisis linked to the suspension of US aid

According to Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, UNHCR representative in Burundi, this disruption is due to a decrease in funding following the cessation of aid from the United States, the former main donor.

“Each month, the UNHCR spent approximately $200,000 to purchase and distribute briquettes in five camps. Since the suspension of US aid, we have had to reorient our priorities,” she explains.

The UNHCR is now proposing to reallocate these funds to finance income-generating activities (IGAs) to strengthen refugees’ economic self-reliance.

Impaired and worried families

But this suspension is having a significant impact on households’ daily lives.

“The briquettes helped us cook beans, our staple food. Now we have to buy two bags of charcoal a month, which is too expensive,” laments Macozi, a mother of eight.

“The UNHCR talks about financing IGAs, but everyone needs to benefit, not just a few. Otherwise, the situation will remain critical,” she adds.

The refugees are calling on the UNHCR to establish a fair mechanism to replace the briquettes, so they can survive with dignity and without jeopardizing their safety.