Gitega Refugee Emergency Appeal May 2026
- Roger Thompson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
As the conflict intensifies in eastern DR Congo, neighbouring Burundi has received a huge influx of refugees, with over 66,000 Congolese (mostly women and children) currently gathered in Busuma Camp (see map). Our Partners in the local Diocese of Gitega are already actively engaged, providing both pastoral and humanitarian support. This Appeal will strengthen that response by delivering urgently needed nutritious food to address malnutrition, together with blankets to improve shelter and protect vulnerable families.
Rev Arsène Mafurebe (Development Coordinator) contacted CMSI last week, saying how distressed he was at the situation, “As I text, we are in Busuma Refugee camp...a Congolese camp. People live in unimaginable circumstances.” Many of you will have met Rev Arsène when he visited Ireland recently at the invitation of the Church of Ireland Council for Mission, and when he speaks you know he is not exaggerating!
Tens of thousands of camp residents lack adequate shelter, with many sleeping on the ground or in crowded tents which stretch as far as they eye can see. Food, clean water, and sanitation facilities are critically insufficient, with only 2.5 litres of water available per person per day, well below humanitarian standards. According to the ICRC these thousands of refugees face the harsh daily of “torrential rains, scarce food, limited access to safe drinking water and healthcare, as well as deep uncertainty about the fate of their relatives.”
A video of these conditions can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CTViP2KW54I
In response to this overwhelming situation Rev Arsène, Bishop Aimé Joseph Kimararungu and their team were able to collect donations from local congregations last week to provide the following emergency food relief to 400 households (approximately 2,000 people)
• 5 tonnes maize flour
• 4 tonnes beans
• 2 tonnes fortified porridge
• 400 blankets
CMSI would like to match this effort, and the cost of doing this (including transport from Gitega) is approximately £85 per household of 5 (a total of £17,000). CMS Ireland is therefore extending their 2025 DRC Emergency Appeal to raise funds for this. The Church in Burundi needs our help as they struggle to reach out to these innocent victims of civil unrest. Please give as generously as you can because it is our beleaguered brothers and sisters who must be the lights of hope amongst the chaos and distress. Please also pray for people of peace to come to places of influence in the nations involved.
How to Donate:
If you would like to give to the CMSI DRC Emergency Appeal (Gitega, Burundi), you can do so at the following link: https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/15485
or by sending a cheque made payable to 'CMS Ireland' and marked 'DRC Appeal Busuma' on the back to:
CMS Ireland, Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, 1st Floor, 245a Upper Malone Road, Belfast, BT17 9LA
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