"More than 50,000 Congolese refugees have fled into Burundi, describing dire living conditions at transit points and makeshift camps after escaping violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Footage captured on Friday in Rumonge shows dozens of displaced families gathered on a football field, sheltering under flimsy tents with little protection from the elements and almost no basic infrastructure. The exodus follows renewed fighting near the DRC–Burundi border, where the M23 militants launched an offensive around the strategic city of Uvira, prompting civilians to flee in large numbers, according to the United Nations. “I've been here for a week and two days. The situation we're experiencing here... is very bad and it worries us a lot. Since we were taken in by the Burundian government and UNHCR staff, we haven't received any assistance, and that makes us not want to stay in this transit camp at all,” said refugee Emmanuel Abedi. “We have nowhere to sleep. When it rains, it's catastrophic here; there are no toilets, and the environment is unsafe and offers no guarantee of hygiene [...] They must provide us with food and other necessities, and medicine to help us,” he added. Another refugee, Noella Tangya, described severe shortages of food and sanitation, adding that rising food prices in Burundi are worsening the suffering. She appealed for peace in the DRC so displaced families can return home. Lwaboshi Dieudonne, executive director of the NGO FAPROS, said the displacement from Uvira and surrounding areas such as Sange, Luberizi and Kiliba has been massive, with people crossing into Burundi by land and by canoe. He estimated the number of Congolese refugees in Burundi at more than 50,000. “They (Displaced people) are going through a very difficult situation, they have no shelter, even temporary, they have no mattresses, they have no food, for the women, there are not really dignity kits and some information that has reached us, there are even cases of cholera,” he noted. While some refugees are calling for repatriation after a reported lull in fighting, Dieudonne said uncertainty remains, as the Burundian authorities have not yet approved returns and have instead called for refugees to be transferred to designated camps, a move that has caused tension among Congolese communities in the country. The exodus began in early December and intensified after M23 seized control of Uvira on December 10. The group announced a withdrawal as a ‘trust-building measure’ on Wednesday amid international pressure. Congolese officials dismissed the move as a diversion, with local sources reporting a M23 presence in the city."