Claude fears that he might soon die from hunger and violence while he waits in a food sales tent in a refugee camp in Burundi.
He is one of thousands of Congolese refugees trapped between brutal cross-border conflicts and severe cuts in international food aid.
Former security guards in Uvira, a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) town, were sparked by the rapid advancement of the Rwandan-backed M23 group, when Claude fled after violence exploded in the east.
The armed group was “shooting, killing each other, … raping women,” recalls the 25-year-old, who fled across the border to Burundi in February.
In the overcrowded musenyi camp, Claude faces another struggle as food rations decrease.
The hangers promoted new tensions within the camp, urging Claude to join volunteers patrolling the area to prevent theft where supplies remained.
“When I arrived here I was given 3.5kg [7.7lb] Rice per month. It’s now kilo [2.2lb]. 3kg [6.6lb] Peas have dropped to 1.8kg [4lb]. What I get with tomato sauce will continue someday. That was over,” said Claude, whose names have been changed for security reasons, as the other refugees interviewed.
He added, he added, while the gang “spreads fear.”
“Reducing aid will lead to a lot of crime,” he warned.
Camp assistant manager Oscar Neiibizi described food cuts as “a major challenge that could cause security disruptions.”
He urges refugees to grow nearby land, but said outside support remains desperately needed.
US President Donald Trump cut his aid budget by 80%, and other Western countries also reduced their donations. As a result, many NGOs and UN agencies have been forced to close or significantly reduce their programs.
These cuts have come at “a very bad time” as combat escalates in DRC, according to Geoffrey Kirenga, mission director for Save the Children at Burundi.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Burundi has received more than 71,000 Congolese refugees since January and has hosted thousands of people from previous conflicts.
Founded last year to accommodate 10,000 people, Musenyi Camp’s population is almost twice that number.
In addition to food shortages, cuts in aid have led NGOs to halt support services for many sexually violent survivors at camps, Kirenga said.
His most serious concern is that “death from hunger” may be inevitable.
The global food program has halved its rationing since March, warning that all support could end by November without renewing US funds.
Hundreds of Congolese refugees are forced to risk returning across the border in search of food, according to the United Nations.
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