Economic and political woes forcing Burundians to flee their country

Burundi nationals, with their belongings, outside the Burundi Chancery in Nairobi on September 8, 2026.

Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group

It is a challenging time to be a Burundian today. Burundi is one of the world’s poorest countries, and its citizens are besieged at home and abroad. At home, they grapple with a tanking economy, high inflation, high national debt, and a long-standing forex drought.

These factors are to blame for the high cost of living and shortage of consumer goods, including years-long fuel scarcity.