Congolese and Burundian refugees in Rwanda face steep cuts in food and aid supplies as agencies struggle with dwindling support.

In some camps, rations have been reduced by more than half, forcing some refugees to clandestinely return to conflict-ridden homelands out of desperation. The shortage has exposed young girls and women to sexual exploitation, while others have left for urban centres in search of survival.

Rwanda hosts about 70,000 Congolese and more than 50,000 Burundian refugees displaced by conflicts.

Burundians fled in 2015 after a failed coup against the late President Pierre Nkurunziza. Some have voluntarily returned home, but others remain in camps. Congolese refugees have spent over two decades in Rwanda, with no sign of peace yet in eastern DRC.

Food and essential supplies have long been provided by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the Rwandan government. Refugees say these provisions have been steadily reduced.

“The reduction is primarily due to a global funding crisis that has constrained WFP’s ability to maintain food assistance,” said Gonzague Karagire, Refugee Programme Manager at Rwanda’s Ministry of Emergency Management. “Humanitarian crises in different regions of the world have led to increased competition for limited resources, forcing WFP to adjust rations for refugees in Rwanda.”

Refugees report that food, medicine, and cooking gas are now luxuries. Students have not received uniforms or school materials this semester.

“We have been stripped of almost everything. The only assistance we still receive in abundance is water,” said Samuel Karemera, a refugee. “People fear the next evaluation will cut even more.”

Across Rwanda, only 23,000 of the country’s 120,000 refugees still receive food and other essentials, according to camp residents.

Burundi is relatively stable and some refugees have returned home. For the Congolese, some say they prefer the risks of returning home to facing starvation in the camps.

“Some are going back, especially those from peaceful areas near Rwanda. But those from militia-controlled regions remain stranded,” Karemera added.

Many adolescent girls have left camps for cities, where lack of skills or income has left them vulnerable to sexual exploitation. “Poverty drives them to accept as little as a dollar or two. The situation is dire,” said Epimache Sinzinkayo, a refugee.

On Tuesday, Rwandan authorities said reduced rations will prioritise vulnerable groups. “Nutrition support for children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and school feeding will not be affected,” Karagire explained.

He added that the government, WFP, and UNHCR are mobilising additional resources to restore full assistance. Refugees are also encouraged to pursue self-reliance programmes and employment opportunities outside camps.