Buhumuza : the fuel crisis blocks UNHCR partners and paralyzes services in refugee camps

SOS Médias Burundi

Ruyigi, November 27, 2025 — Since Tuesday, November 25, UNHCR partners based in Ruyigi have been unable to visit the Bwagiriza, Nyankanda, and Kavumu refugee camps in Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi.

The cause : a fuel shortage that has halted staff travel and severely disrupted essential services, particularly in the health sector managed by TPO Health.

Burundian nurses, responsible, among other things, for access to pharmacies, were absent, leaving the Congolese teams on duty with very few medications. Some essential treatments—notably for malaria—were unavailable, as were several basic pain relievers. The result : many sick people found themselves without adequate care.

Unclear reasons, growing concern

The UNHCR has not officially clarified the causes of this fuel supply disruption. However, sources close to the matter suggest internal financial difficulties, combined with the nationwide fuel shortage that has plagued Burundi for nearly five years.

Yet, in recent weeks, some petrol stations in Bujumbura and the interior of the country seem to be better supplied, making the exact cause of the interruption even more difficult to pinpoint.

The first to be affected were refugees waiting for specialist consultations.

“I was told the doctor wouldn’t come”

“I had an appointment for my abdominal pain. I arrived very early, but I was told the doctor wouldn’t come because there wasn’t enough fuel to reach the camp. I was asked to come back another day.” “I’m scared because the pain is getting worse; I might need to be transferred to Ruyigi,” testifies a Congolese refugee from the Nyankanda camp, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The absence of Burundian staff, who hold the keys and manage the pharmacies, has led to a complete shortage of certain essential medications.

Children with fevers, closed pharmacies

At the Bwagiriza camp health center, the Congolese nurses on duty tried to maintain minimal activity despite nearly empty stocks.

Several children with high fevers or severe signs of malaria did not receive the necessary care.

“My child had a high fever and was having trouble breathing. They only gave me four paracetamol tablets. I was told that the other medications were in the closed pharmacy, and that only the Burundian nurses had access to them. If they had been there, my child would have received a full course of treatment,” says Georgette, a Congolese refugee. “I had to sell part of my food ration to buy medicine at a private pharmacy.”

40,000 refugees affected by a simple fuel shortage

The Bwagiriza, Nyankanda, and Kavumu camps host nearly 40,000 refugees, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is an already vulnerable population, dependent on regular healthcare and exposed to malaria as well as diseases linked to overcrowding and precarious living conditions.

For the refugees, this crisis illustrates the fragility of humanitarian services in the region : a single fuel shortage can be enough to endanger lives.

They are calling on UNHCR partners to guarantee the minimum continuity of essential services, even in difficult logistical situations.