In the midst of the conflict in North Kivu, a humanitarian truce was supposed to provide respite for internally displaced people. Initially scheduled for 15 days, it was extended for another 15 days, but the reality on the ground is very different from what was hoped. Beneficiaries are struggling to receive humanitarian assistance, especially because of the continuing instability of the security situation.
Humanitarian organizations working on the ground face many obstacles in reaching those in desperate need of help. The World Food Programme (WFP), for example, has had to reduce its interventions in state health centers, limiting access to essential food supplies for the treatment of malnutrition in children under five and their mothers.
WFP Communications Officer Claude Kalinga highlighted the challenges the organization is facing: “The volatility of the security situation in the combat zones between the FARDC and the M23 has forced us to suspend our humanitarian assistance distributions. Displaced people who fled the fighting have made it difficult to resume distributions once the situation has stabilized.”
Unfortunately, even during this humanitarian truce, insecurity persists, endangering the lives of humanitarian workers and vulnerable populations. Attacks on humanitarian personnel in Lubero territory in early July have heightened fears and difficulties in accessing needy populations despite the efforts made under the truce.
Despite these obstacles, WFP continues to provide vital support in nutritional inputs to health centers, offering a semblance of hope to children and pregnant or breastfeeding women facing acute and moderate malnutrition. In such a complex and volatile context, every small humanitarian action counts and can make a difference in saving lives and bringing a little comfort to those who need it so much.