The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo: an alarming situation
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is causing deep concern from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and UNICEF, the United Nations Fund for childhood.
Clashes between armed groups and government forces have led to the forced displacement of more than 450,000 people over the past six weeks in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi, located in North Kivu province.
Jean Baptiste Munyanzinza is one of the people affected by this crisis. He and his family are staying in the Bushagara refugee camp, after being forced to flee attacks on their home. Bushagara camp is located approximately 20 kilometers north of the provincial capital.
“Many people do not yet have shelter or emergency kits like us. Although we can benefit from food aid here, we do not want to live in this situation of dependency. At home, we had fields , livestock, and we lived very well. The most important thing is to stop the war so we can return home.”
As the country prepares for elections, many Congolese, like Munyanzinza, are primarily concerned about peace.
UNHCR and UNICEF emphasize that the crisis is worsened by the lack of humanitarian access to people in need, mainly due to the obstruction of main roads. Although UNHCR has built shelters for more than 40,000 people near the provincial capital of Goma in recent months and distributed kits including tarpaulins, cooking pots and blankets, the international community must urgently address the obstruction humanitarian access to ensure that the nearly 7 million people affected by the conflict in eastern DRC receive emergency assistance.
Protection monitoring reports collected by UNHCR and partners in October show more than 3,000 reported human rights violations, almost double the figure from the previous month. Rape and arbitrary killings feature prominently among these outcomes, alongside kidnappings, extortion and destruction of property.
The total number of violations reported against children between July and September 2023, recorded by child protection partners, saw a marked increase (130%), reaching 2,018 cases in addition to the already high number of violations reported during of the first half of the year.
It should also be noted that the humanitarian response in the DRC is largely underfunded. The Coordinated Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023, which includes the financial needs of UNHCR and UNICEF, amounts to $2.3 billion, but to date only 37% of this amount has been funded.
It is therefore crucial that the international community acts quickly to provide financial and logistical support to meet the urgent needs of people affected by this humanitarian crisis in the DRC. It is also essential to end the conflict and promote peace in the region, so that displaced people can return to their homes and rebuild their lives.