Renewed violent clashes involving non-state armed groups are exacerbating the hunger and protection crises in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC, DR Congo), leaving 10 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the international humanitarian organizations Oxfam, CARE International and the Danish Refugee Council have warned in a joined statement Tuesday.
Since the beginning of the year, the ongoing conflicts have killed nearly 1,400 civilians, including women and children, according to the aid agencies. Sexual violence against women and girls is also on the rise, with over 340 cases of sexual violence reported in areas of Kanyaruchinya and Munigi in Niyragongo territory since January 2023 alone.
“Due to the recent violence, hundreds of thousands of farmers across North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are unable to start the planting season to secure food and income, as they have been driven out of their lands and homes. Over 26 million people already do not have enough to eat due to years of conflict and displacement. Continued violence is now pushing them to the brink”, said Justine Gomis Tossou, Oxfam Country Director in DRC.
More than 900,000 people have been forced to flee their homes since violence escalated in March 2022. Hundreds of people are arriving every day and being crammed in crowded makeshift camps. This is stretching resources such as clean water and sanitation and increasing the risk of outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
“Over 59,000 children are malnourished and over 5,000 pregnant women require appropriate nutritional care. With food insecurity, overcrowding in the sites, poor hygiene and sanitation conditions, shortage of drinking water, and lack of access to health care, the likelihood of an increase in the cases of cholera in the makeshift camps is high in Nyiragongo. Conflict hampers access to get much-needed aid to the affected”, said Sidibe Kadidia, Care International Country Director in DRC.
The country already suffers the largest internal displacement crisis in Africa due to the ongoing violence. According to the United Nations, 7.1 million people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been forced to flee their homes. Among them are 6.1 internally displaced person (IDPs) and 1 million refugees, that have sought safety in neighboring countries.
Many children, women, and men have had to flee more than once. The number of IDPs and refugees in the DRC has risen dramatically since 2016 to one of the highest recorded since the 1990s and poses a threat to the stability of the region.
The combined effects of insecurity and population movements in the country’s northeastern region are limiting household involvement in the agricultural season. Humanitarian assistance remains crucial for households that are unable to cultivate, with a large consumption gap, often filled by humanitarian food aid.
The humanitarian organizations warn that insecurity in conflict zones is hampering aid efforts making it harder to reach people most in need. Humanitarian flights are also at risk of being halted, and several main roads from Goma to the west and north, have been blocked. Several areas are almost entirely cut off from life-saving humanitarian assistance.
The three aid agencies are calling on donors to urgently meet the current UN appeal for DRC to help save lives now, while urging the government of DR Congo and the international community to work equally on addressing the root cause of the crisis and protecting human rights. Despite the worsening humanitarian situation, only 10 percent of the $2.25 billion UN appeal for DRC in 2023 has been funded to date.
Eastern DRC is home to multiple armed groups, including the rebel M23 force, ADF rebels, the CODECO armed group and Zaire militants. A dramatic resurgence of clashes between the M23 and the Armed Forces of the DR Congo began in March 2022. The humanitarian situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo drastically deteriorated due to the escalation of the conflict in the North Kivu province.
Over the past year, the resurgence of violence in North Kivu has displaced hundreds of thousands, including towards the provinces of South Kivu and Ituri. In February alone, nearly 300,000 people fled across Rutshuru and Masisi territories in North Kivu Province. Many are also seeking refuge in Nyiragongo territory.
Nyiragongo Territory is an administrative area in DRC’s North Kivu province. It is bordered by Masisi Territory to the west, Rutshuru Territory to the north, Goma to the south, and Rwanda to the east. Goma is the capital of the province in the eastern part of the country.
Further information
Full text: 10 million people in Democratic Republic of Congo urgently need aid amidst increased violence, joint statement, Oxfam, CARE International, the Danish Refugee Council, published April 4, 2023
https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/10-million-people-democratic-republic-congo-urgently-need-aid-amidst-increased-violence