The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it is intensifying its efforts to address the complex and persistent humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo) as the number of internally displaced people climbs to 6.95 million people across the country – the highest number recorded yet. Meanwhile, the massive displacement of civilians continues in the eastern DRC, following ongoing clashes between armed groups and the Congolese armed forces, leading to soaring humanitarian needs.
In its latest situation report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that since October 1 some 200,000 people have fled the violence in Masisi and Rutshuru territories in North Kivu province. With ongoing conflict, escalating violence, and pervasive human rights abuses, the DR Congo is facing one of the largest internal displacement and humanitarian crises in the world.
The International Organization for Migration reported Monday that for the first time, nationwide displacement data has been collected in all 26 provinces of the DRC. As of October 2023, most internally displaced persons (IDPs), about 5.6 million (81 percent) live in the eastern provinces of North Kivu (2.3 million IDPs), Ituri (1.6 million), South Kivu (1.4 million), and Tanganyika (350,000).
According to IOM, conflict remains the primary reason for displacement. In the eastern province of North Kivu alone, up to 1 million people have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict with the rebel group Mouvement du 23 Mars (M23). As the security situation, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri, continues to deteriorate, movements become more frequent and humanitarian needs soar.
"For decades, the Congolese people have been living through a storm of crises," said Fabien Sambussy, IOM’s Chief of Mission in DRC.
“The most recent escalation of the conflict has uprooted more people in less time like rarely seen before. We urgently need to deliver help to those most in need.”
The UN peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) said today it was concerned about clashes between members of the M23, the Congolese armed forces and coalitions of armed groups in the province of North Kivu that have been occurring daily since the beginning of October.
MONUSCO said these clashes are taking place in the Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyiragongo territories, and represent a serious escalation of the conflict in eastern Congo. The violence is also a serious threat to humanitarian relief operations and to the sites hosting displaced people in the periphery of North Kivu’s capital Goma.
"Peacekeepers deployed a Quick Reaction Force to Rutshuru to protect civilians. Working closely with the Congolese armed forces and the East African Community Regional Force, UN peacekeepers continue to conduct patrols to protect Goma," a UN spokesperson said today.
"They have also established security perimeters around humanitarian aid distribution centers near our Kitchanga base and escorted the delivery of non-food items and other humanitarian assistance in the area, where approximately 25,000 internally displaced people are seeking protection around the Mission’s base," he added.
Despite limited humanitarian access and security concerns, the IOM said Monday it remains committed to providing critical assistance to displaced persons, returnees and host communities affected by the crisis.
The UN agency said it has been actively involved in managing 78 displacement sites hosting over 280,000 internally displaced people. Since a scale up of relief aid was declared in June this year, 3,347 emergency shelters were constructed, 7,715 non-food item kits with essential supplies were distributed, and 17,116 individuals benefited from water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.
While also acknowledging the limitations posed by limited humanitarian access, IOM is advocating for additional land to set up sites in North Kivu, enhanced security and increased resources to meet the most pressing needs of communities affected by protracted and repeated internal displacement.
Despite a joint declaration to ramp up the emergency response, humanitarian organizations working in eastern DRC have only received the funding required to reach 2.7 million of the 5.5 million people in most urgent need. In June this year, the world’s top relief officials announced a system-wide scale-up that allowed humanitarian organizations to increase their operations in eastern DR Congo following months of relentless violence, displacement and rising humanitarian needs.
In recent months, humanitarian organizations have stepped up their operations. However, aid agencies urgently need additional financial support to continue and strengthen their operations. A severe lack of funding prevents any further program expansion.
The humanitarian situation in the eastern provinces of the DR Congo has reached devastating levels, as cyclical violence perpetrated by armed groups and subsequent displacement continues to impact millions of vulnerable civilians. As the conflict does not let up, people continue to be forced from their homes and the only shelter they can find is in makeshift camps and host communities. More than two-thirds of IDPs in the country - nearly 4.8 million people - live in host families.
Eastern DRC is home to multiple armed groups, including the rebel Mouvement du 23 mars (M23) force, the CODECO (Coopérative pour le développement du Congo) armed group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, and Mai-Mai militants.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, and the situation in the country is one of the most neglected displacement crises globally. For decades, the country has endured multiple, overlapping emergencies driven mainly by conflict and forced displacement.
The DRC already suffers one of the largest displacement crises in Africa – after Sudan – due to the ongoing violence. More than 8.2 million people in the country have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are 6.9 million internally displaced persons and 1.3 million refugees, that have sought safety in neighboring countries. In addition, DR Congo hosts some 500,000 refugees.
The conflict in eastern DRC has caused an interlinked crisis, affecting food insecurity, malnutrition, health, education, as well as access to clean water and shelter.
While in the whole country some 26 million people are experiencing food insecurity, at least 6.7 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu provinces. An estimated 2.8 million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are acutely malnourished.
The UN estimates that 26.4 million people require humanitarian assistance in the country this year. Among them are 15.4 million children. In the three eastern provinces, 7.8 million women, men, and children are in need of humanitarian aid. Despite the magnitude of humanitarian needs and the scale up of humanitarian response capacity, humanitarian operations in the country are severely underfunded.
The 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for US$2.3 billion to provide life-saving assistance. As of October 30, the HRP is only 36 percent funded. The 2023 Regional Refugee Response Plan for the DRC situation is currently funded at only 16 percent of the required US$605 million.
Further information
Full text: Record High Displacement in DRC at Nearly 7 Million, IOM press release, published October 30, 2023
https://www.iom.int/news/record-high-displacement-drc-nearly-7-million