**The Humanitarian Crisis in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: A Persistent Challenge**
The humanitarian situation in the restive eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is alarming, with gender-based violence worsening, according to the United Nations.
Bruno Lemarquis, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident of the United Nations Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in the DRC, issued this warning during a United Nations briefing.
“The crisis in the DRC is one of the most serious, complex, protracted and neglected in the world,” Lemarquis said. “The increase in hostilities in eastern DRC, mainly in North Kivu, is deeply worrying. Violent clashes between the group called M23 and the Congolese armed forces, the FARDC, have intensified, leading to serious humanitarian consequences and massive displacements,” he added.
The warning comes as the United Nations plans to withdraw peacekeepers from the region by the end of the year. More than 25 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance to survive and more than seven million people have been displaced by the conflict, according to the UNHCR.
“The country is also currently affected by very serious flooding affecting two million people and many provinces across the country, with the Congo River reaching its highest level since 1961,” Lemarquis said.
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by conflict for years, with the M23 among more than 100 armed groups struggling to gain a foothold in the mineral-rich region near the border with Rwanda.
Analysts say a new disaster could go largely unnoticed because of the focus on the war in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This situation highlights the urgency of the humanitarian situation in the region, highlighting the need for a rapid and effective response from the international community to alleviate the suffering of the affected populations. It is imperative to find lasting solutions to end this cycle of violence and displacement that affects millions of lives in the DRC.