About 45 000 displaced people are sheltering in a crowded open-air stadium in Rugombo, a few km (miles) from the border with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where the Congolese army and M23 rebel group are fighting.

Sanitary conditions inside the stadium are said to be poor with only 10 to 15 stalls of latrines for tens of thousands of people. Many families are being forced to camp in open fields nearby, according to the agency.

The refugees include a large number of unaccompanied children separated from their families, the agency says.

On February 21, UNHCR told a press briefing in Geneva that it would seek to move people from the stadium.

However, logistical challenges mean it takes six to eight hours to move large numbers of people to the Musenyi refugee site in southern Burundi. That site, which can host 10,000 people, is now 60% full, according to the agency.

--Reuters--