Gitega : inmates alarmed by food shortages

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, May 11, 2026 – The food shortage at Gitega Central Prison, in Burundi’s political capital, is causing serious concern among inmates. According to internal sources, more than 1,400 prisoners have been facing an alarming food shortage for nearly two weeks.

According to a witness, inmates are currently receiving only about 350 grams of corn or cassava flour per day. This ration is considered insufficient to meet their daily nutritional needs, especially since beans, the main accompaniment to the dough, have also been unavailable for several days.

The same sources indicate that the situation particularly affects inmates from the Karusi, Cankuzo, and Ruyigi regions in the central-east and eastern parts of the country. These prisoners, who often receive few visits from their families, have very little outside support, which exacerbates their vulnerability to the food shortage.

According to information gathered, the situation remains marked by alternating shortages: when flour is available, beans are lacking, and vice versa. A similar shortage was already reported last March in the same prison.

Only about one hundred inmates suffering from chronic illnesses receive food assistance provided by the Catholic Church of Burundi, through the Archdiocese of Gitega. These prisoners receive, in particular, porridge as well as a ration consisting of rice and beans. The other inmates say they are living in extremely difficult conditions and are appealing to anyone of goodwill.

Built in 1926 to house approximately 400 inmates, the Gitega Central Prison now holds more than 1,400 people, representing an overcrowding rate exceeding 400%. This prison congestion exacerbates overcrowding and further deteriorates the conditions of detention.

The situation in Gitega is not, however, an isolated case. Similar difficulties are reported in several other overcrowded prisons across the country, particularly regarding food and detention conditions, according to prison and humanitarian sources.