DR Congo: Humanitarian crisis in North Kivu escalates, while Congo River flood emergency continues

United Nations agencies are deeply concerned about the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in the Masisi territory in the eastern province of North Kivu. Fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group has displaced at least 135,000 people in different areas of the territory in the past two weeks, adding to an already dire situation in North Kivu.

“People who have been displaced — including 26,000 men, women and children now in the town of Sake in North Kivu and 24,000 people in the town of Minova in South Kivu — have limited access to food, clean water, health care and shelter,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists this week.

The ongoing clashes have also impacted the road between Sake and Bweremana, a major route connecting the provinces of North and South Kivu.

“This risks isolating Goma, a city of 2 million people, which also hosts more than 500,000 displaced people. It could jeopardize food security and economic activities in Goma and the area,” Dujarric said.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), receiving further displaced people in North Kivu’s provincial capital, Goma, remains difficult, due to the lack of available space.

Dujarric said that mounting insecurity in Masisi is preventing some 630,000 people who were previously displaced from accessing crucial medical care, including medical assistance for those injured in the conflict.

“The risk of further violence, including in Goma, remains high,” he warned, calling for unimpeded humanitarian access to address people’s urgent needs.

“We also urge all parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and take concrete action to protect civilians,” the UN spokesperson said.

Since 2022, the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in particular North Kivu, has been gripped by a devastating conflict that has intensified and become increasingly complex over time. The crisis is characterized by an abundance of armed actors in the conflict, large-scale displacement and a growing number of women, children, and men in need of humanitarian aid.

The ongoing armed conflict between the M23 rebel group and the DRC armed forces (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo, FARDC) and their allies has been a major source of violence and instability in the region. The situation has deteriorated further since the withdrawal of several East African Community (EAC) force bases from the affected territories.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has increased from 1.24 million in December to 1.47 million in January, due to clashes between the FARDC and the M23 in Masisi territory.

The worsening conflicts in eastern Congo have prompted countries in the region to broker two peace initiatives: the so-called Luanda Process and the Nairobi Process.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, wrapped up his visit to the DRC this week with a renewed call on the M23 rebel group to immediately cease its offensive in the country’s east and to respect the Luanda Process. Lacroix reiterated the commitment of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) to implement its mandate to protect civilians.

In Kinshasa, he had met with Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi, where both discussed reinforcement of the presence and capacity of Congolese defense and security forces in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. UN peacekeepers are due to exit from these three provinces, as part of the Mission’s disengagement plan from the DRC.

After a disputed election in December 2023, President Tshisekedi was sworn in on January 20, 2024, for his second five-year term, promising to unite the Central African country and protect lives in the conflict-torn eastern region. MONUSCO will complete its withdrawal from the DRC by the end of 2024.

Catastrophic flooding

In another development, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, allocated US$6 million this week from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the response to the worst flooding in six decades in the DR Congo.

Since December 2023, heavy rainfall has caused the Congo River to surge to its highest levels since 1961. This has triggered catastrophic flooding, which has impacted 18 out of the country’s 26 provinces and affected more than 2 million people, including in the capital Kinshasa.  Over 300 deaths have been reported, more than 500,000 people have been displaced due to the floods.

The floods are exacerbating already high humanitarian needs, as the infrastructure has been severely damaged and basic services are severely impaired. Experts fear a surge in cholera cases and potential spread along the Congo River. Nearly 100,000 homes, 267 health facilities, and 1,325 schools have been destroyed.

According to the UN, the new CERF allocation will support nearly 400,000 people in the areas of health, food security, shelter and protection, among others. Another $3.6 million had been allocated from the CERF on January 17 to support the urgent humanitarian response.

Further information

Full text: Democratic Republic of Congo – North Kivu Flash Update #1: New surge of violence in Masisi forced displacement to Goma (08 February 2024), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, report, published February 8, 2024
https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/democratic-republic-congo-north-kivu-flash-update-1-new-surge-violence-masisi-forced-displacement-goma-08-february-2024