Buhumuza : drinking water shortage at Nyankanda refugee camp after a spring destruction

SOS Médias Burundi

Ruyigi, March 17, 2026 — The Nyankanda refugee camp, located in the district of Ruyigi, in Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi, is currently facing a severe drinking water shortage. Since Thursday, March 12, the camp’s water supply facilities have been heavily damaged, plunging thousands of Congolese refugees into a critical humanitarian situation.

According to information gathered on site, the spring that supplied the camp’s water distribution network was destroyed following heavy rains in the region. The floodwaters washed away several pipes and damaged the intake infrastructure, thus destroying the well that provided water to the refugees.

Since this incident, camp residents have been forced to search for water in difficult and often unsanitary conditions. Some go to the lowlands or nearby rivers to fetch water, despite the health risks.

Turinabo, a refugee living in the camp, testifies :

“Today, I went to the lowland to fetch water from the river. The water is full of mud, but we have no other option. Without swift intervention, we risk contracting diseases like typhoid and other illnesses linked to unsafe water.”

Other refugees try to obtain water from local communities, but access remains difficult. Michel, another camp resident, explains :

“I went to get water from a tap at a Burundian house, but they asked me for 1,000 Burundi francs to be able to draw water.” “At home, I use at least five 20-liter jerrycans a day. Without water, there is no life.”

Faced with this situation, the refugees are making an urgent appeal to the authorities and humanitarian organizations :

“We are calling on the Burundian government, the UNHCR, and its partners to help us repair our water source as quickly as possible,” insists Michel.

The Nyankanda camp currently hosts more than 12,000 Congolese refugees, the majority of whom are entirely dependent on humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs. Without swift intervention to restore the drinking water supply, the camp residents fear a health crisis in the coming days.