Since 5 December, more than 100,000 refugees have fled to Burundi following escalating violence in South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Currently, more than 66,000 people live in Busuma camp, in the commune of Ruyigi, in the east of the country. The Congolese refugees continue to live in difficult conditions, with insufficient access to basic services.

Despite recent improvements, camp residents currently have access to approximately 5.5 litres of water per person per day, which is still far below the 15 to 20 litres required under humanitarian standards. Since the camp opened, MSF teams have been involved in distributing water through water trucks. At the same time, MSF has been working for two months to capture water from a spring located about 5 km from the camp to increase the amount of drinking water distributed in the camp. Since 25 February 2026, the first taps installed in the camp have been operational. ‘Water is life!’ chanted the Congolese refugees when the first drops of water went out from the taps.

Although other organisations are also present on the ground to provide water to refugees, the amount distributed is still below emergency standards. Increased mobilisation of finance and ressources is important to keep increasing the amount of water distributed. This would also help reducing the spread of water bone disease and improve the hygiene in the camp.

MSF operates in the camp through a clinic that provides primary healthcare and 48 to 72 hours stabilisation before referral to secondary care. Since it opened, our teams have carried out around 1,000 consultations per week, mainly for respiratory infections, diarrhoea and malaria. Our teams also provide mental health care, sexual and reproductive health care, and manage epidemics such as measles.