​Gloria is one of almost 40,000 Burundian refugees who have fled the violence and instability in their country and crossed the border over into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over 400,000 Burundians have fled their home country since 2015, seeking refuge in the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, the DRC and Uganda.

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Gloria arrived in the DRC in February this year, and has not yet been officially registered as a refugee. The refugee camp in the South Kivu region where she has arrived is saturated, with more than 29,000 refugees hosted in a camp built for only 18,000. The transit centres where refugees are registered and then transferred to the refugee camp are also full. Gloria says she has been waiting outside the transit centres with her family since February.

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“We have been waiting for a place in the transit centre for over 4 months. At night, we sleep outside, we hear gunshots and we are scared. We want to have a place in the refugee camp so we can be safe.”

 

Photo: Clara Veale / Story: Voices of Refugees