Meheba (Zambia) : a death that irritates refugees

SOS Médias Burundi

Meheba, September 14, 2025 – The death of a 60-year-old Burundian refugee in Meheba camp in northwestern Zambia has sparked anger and indignation among refugees. The victim, Jean Pierre Niyongabo, originally from Bururi province (former administrative structure), had suffered from heart complications for several years. The refugees denounce prolonged medical neglect as a contributing factor to his death.

Arriving in Meheba in 2019 with medical records attesting to his heart problems, Jean Pierre Niyongabo has consistently demanded specialized care. “He wandered around every day with a pile of documents, going from one NGO to another, requesting a transfer to a referral hospital. No one wanted to listen to him,” says a neighbor.

In Block D of the camp, he was known to everyone.
“When he arrived at the Block D hospital, the nurses recognized him immediately. He spent his time there, demanding his rights, in vain,” adds a local leader.

A death covered in silence

Jean Pierre Niyongabo, who died last week, was found dead at his home. Refugees say that the health facilities and the camp administration failed to report his death, believing he had become a nuisance through his constant demands.
“It’s a shame he died at home. At the very least, he should have breathed his last in a hospital bed,” laments a refugee.

Anger and a cry of alarm

For many refugees, this death illustrates the abandonment they feel they are victims of. “This is a sign that we are not being cared for and that our basic rights are not being respected,” they lament.

Jean Pierre Niyongabo leaves behind a widow and ten children. His death has renewed criticism of the lack of medicines and patient neglect in the camp’s health facilities. The refugees are demanding urgent improvements to health services.

The Meheba camp hosts more than 27,000 refugees, including approximately 3,000 Burundians.