UNHCR seeks $47 million after surge of Congolese crossings into Burundi; new UN refugee chief named

The U.N. told reporters that a recent surge of crossings has strained resources in Burundi: more than 84,000 people have crossed from South Kivu into Burundi this month, raising the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in Burundi to about 200,000, the spokesperson said. Transit centers and informal sites have far exceeded capacity in some locations, leaving hundreds of families in dire conditions, she added.

The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is seeking $47,000,000 for the next four months to assist an estimated 500,000 internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and up to 166,000 refugees in Burundi, Rwanda and other neighboring countries, according to the briefing.

The spokesperson also noted the General Assembly elected Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, succeeding Filippo Grandi of Italy, and highlighted Salih's diplomatic and administrative experience and prior service in Iraqi leadership roles.

The briefing said the U.N. is engaging partners to provide protection, monitoring and assistance for new arrivals, and that an ad hoc summit of regional leaders was planned to discuss eastern DRC developments.