The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has voiced alarm over the escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo), which has already displaced 237,000 people this year. Clashes between non-state armed groups and the Congolese army in North and South Kivu provinces are exacerbating one of the world's most under-reported humanitarian crises, characterized by widespread human rights violations and massive forced displacement.
Armed conflicts continue in several territories in the province of North Kivu, particularly in Masisi, Lubero and Nyiragongo, as well as in the neighboring province of South Kivu, which particularly impact children. According to estimates, around 120,000 girls and boys are among the people forced to flee their homes in January alone.
In the first week of the year, "intense fighting in the Masisi and the Lubero territories of North Kivu Province forced approximately 150,000 individuals to flee their homes," UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun told journalists in Geneva on Friday.
“Many initially sought safety in Masisi territory, northwest of Goma, the territory’s main town, only to be displaced yet again as violence spread.”
But the armed violence is not confined to North Kivu.
“Simultaneously, in South Kivu’s Fizi territory, the local government reports that 84,000 people are now displaced and it has requested humanitarian assistance from the international community,” Byun added.
The Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) rebel group captured the town of Masisi in North Kivu on January 4, following an offensive launched by the M23 on January 2, in violation of the ceasefire agreement signed between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda in July last year.
"Despite the volatile security situation, approximately 25,000 displaced people returned to Masisi-Center following a temporary lull in violence on 4 January," Byun said.
“However, renewed clashes on 9 January forced many to flee once again, highlighting the fragility of the situation. The town remains engulfed in uncertainty, with civilians facing ongoing violence, including forced recruitment, and suspicion from armed actors.”
Masisi was already home to more than 600,000 displaced people before the latest escalation. Fighting has since continued further south in the territory, on the border with South Kivu province, as well as in Lubero territory.
The ongoing clashes are the latest in a three-year violent crisis pitting the M23 against the Congolese army and allied groups in eastern DRC. The conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and seriously affected the already critical humanitarian and health situation in the east of the country.
According to UNHCR, civilians in both provinces have been subjected to indiscriminate bombing and sexual violence, while the use of heavy weapons in populated areas has resulted in numerous civilian casualties, including children.
North and South Kivu are already home to 4.6 million internally displaced people (IDPs), making the DRC one of the countries with the highest number of people uprooted within its own borders. In total, some 7.3 million people are internally displaced throughout the DRC, most of them as a result of armed violence.
On Friday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued an update expressing concern about the increase in civilian casualties, particularly in Lubero territory.
Citing aid agencies on the ground, OCHA reported that between Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, at least 30 people were killed in attacks in several villages in Lubero territory, and at least 30,000 people have fled to the city of Butembo and surrounding areas.
According to OCHA, the latest attacks are part of a wider escalation of violence in the territory that began in June last year and has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 220 people. Since June, the M23 has occupied large parts of North Kivu and established a parallel administration in areas under its effective control.
In response to the growing humanitarian crisis in Lubero, humanitarian agencies are providing support to affected communities, including the distribution of food, medical supplies, water and hygiene kits. The Lubero territory is now home to some 360,000 displaced people. A UN humanitarian mission is currently carrying out assessments.
Meanwhile, UNHCR spokesperson Byun stressed that the already dire humanitarian situation in eastern DRC is rapidly deteriorating, with access to vulnerable populations severely restricted by insecurity, roadblocks and the presence of violent armed actors. Fighters are reportedly using people's homes as shelters, endangering residents by obscuring the distinction between combatants and civilians, she said.
The UN Refugee Agency has constructed and rehabilitated shelters for more than 95,000 people in the region and distributed essential household items such as mosquito nets, blankets and cooking pots to 45,000 people.In 2025, UNHCR requires a total of US$226 million to address the protracted emergency in the DRC but to date the UN agency has received less than 10 percent of the needed funding.
“UNHCR reminds all stakeholders that it is high time peace prevails in the DRC in the best interests of the region and humanity. It urges increased investments in peace building and conflict resolution to address the root causes of displacement and build a foundation for lasting stability,” Byun said,
In New York, OCHA reiterated its call for an immediate end to attacks against civilians.
“We emphasize that all actors involved in this violence must uphold human rights and international humanitarian law,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, told journalists.
DRC's eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri have been plagued by violence for decades as non-state armed groups fight for control of the region's rich natural resources. Many of those forced to flee have been displaced several times. Humanitarian needs are acute, with protection, food, shelter and sanitation among the top priorities.
The armed conflict in the DRC has taken a heavy toll. According to the United Nations, the country is facing a double humanitarian crisis - an internal displacement crisis and a food crisis. While more than 7.3 million people are currently internally displaced, more than 25.6 million are suffering from acute hunger.
Nearly a quarter of the DRC's population continues to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, making it one of the largest food crises in the world. Of these, approximately 3.1 million people are experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), characterized by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, nearly 4.5 million children under five years are expected to face acute malnutrition, including some 1.4 million cases of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) that require urgent medical attention and 3.1 million cases of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
According to UN estimates, about 21.2 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will need humanitarian assistance in 2025.
Further information
Full text: Escalating violence in eastern DR Congo displaces more than 230,000 since start of year, UNHCR, briefing notes, released January 17, 2025
https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/escalating-violence-eastern-dr-congo-displaces-more-230-000-start-year