DRC – Lusenda : mobile phones distributed to Burundian refugees for food assistance awaited for nearly two years

SOS Médias Burundi

Lusenda, November 4, 2026 — Since October 28, mobile phones and SIM cards have been distributed to Burundian refugees in the Lusenda camp, located in the Fizi territory of South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This initiative is intended to enable them to receive financial assistance to cover their food needs, following nearly two years without such support.

The operation is being carried out by partner organizations as part of a project funded by an American organization, with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Selected households are receiving mobile phones along with SIM cards that provide access to the M-Pesa mobile money transfer service. This service allows users to receive, store, and transfer funds using their phones. Beneficiaries will thus be able to receive their financial assistance and—depending on local availability—withdraw the funds through authorized agents.

According to information provided by the UNHCR, each eligible household is set to receive 160 US dollars per month. Initially, the program targeted 4,999 households; of these, 3,538 were selected. However, 134 of the selected beneficiaries have since returned to their home country. In total, 3,404 households are expected to receive this assistance.

This resumption of aid comes after a long period of hardship for the Burundian refugees in Lusenda. Last September, several of them sounded an alarm to the UNHCR after nearly two years without food assistance.

See also our previous article : [Lusenda : two years without food aid, Burundian refugees sound the alarm to the UNHCR] (https :

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Network outage raises concerns

However, the distribution of equipment is taking place against a backdrop that has raised questions among the refugees. The mobile phone network in the Fizi territory has reportedly been down since June 2026—a situation likely to complicate the use of M-Pesa accounts.

In fact, money transfers and withdrawals via this service generally require a mobile network connection. The refugees therefore fear that they may receive the phones and SIM cards without actually being able to access the promised aid.

They hope that the organizations running the program and stakeholders in the telecommunications sector will find a solution to enable them to receive and withdraw the funds.

After nearly two years without food assistance, this initiative offers a glimmer of hope to the households concerned. Yet, for these refugees, the distribution of phones and SIM cards is merely a first step. Their primary expectation remains gaining actual access to the $160 per household promised each month.

More than 42,000 Burundian refugees in the DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts more than 42,000 Burundian refugees, primarily settled in two camps—Lusenda and Mulongwe—located in the Fizi territory of South Kivu. The prolonged suspension of food assistance has left households living in these sites particularly vulnerable, as they rely heavily on humanitarian aid to meet their essential needs.

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Burundian refugees at the Lusenda camp in the DRC, waiting to receive food assistance after a hiatus of nearly two years (SOS Médias Burundi)