Last year, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Health teams treated more than two victims and survivors of sexual violence every hour. This alarming figure of 25,166 victims of sexual violence treated in 2023 marks a grim record for the MSF organization in the DRC. The data comes from 17 projects in five provinces, including four in the war-torn east of the country.
Tragically, the majority of victims are women and girls, treated in displacement camps near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. This region of eastern DRC has endured decades of armed violence, with more than 120 armed groups competing for power, land and mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities.
Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings, rape and other human rights violations. This violence has forced more than 6 million people to flee their homes in the east of the country. More worryingly, MSF teams treated 69% of the total number of victims recorded in 2023 in the first five months of 2024.
These figures reveal a major humanitarian crisis in the DRC, exacerbated by ongoing violence and obstacles to humanitarian assistance. Residents of displacement camps have suffered violence and abuse at the hands of the Congolese and Rwandan armies, as well as armed groups.
It is crucial that the international community take urgent action to protect the rights of vulnerable populations in the DRC and end impunity for the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Combating sexual violence must be a top priority, to ensure the safety and dignity of women and girls in the country.
In short, the situation in the DRC is alarming, but concerted and immediate action can bring positive change for victims of sexual violence and the communities affected by this scourge.