### The return of the displaced to the North Kivu: between hope and precarious realities
Since the end of January, the taking of Goma by the rebels of the M23 has caused a massive movement to return from thousands of displaced in North Kivu. This return, inspired by the hope of finding roots and a stable daily life quickly comes up against a bitter and tragic reality. Families, after having lived months in camps such as those of Bushagara and Kanyaruchinya, discover the desolation of their villages. The houses ripped, the fields destroyed, and the destitute health infrastructures bear witness to the violence of the clashes which forced them to flee. But beyond this disastrous painting hides another, just as critical problem: the resurgence of fatal diseases, including cholera, which now threatens the lives of those who were trying, with so much bravery, a return to normality.
** An eclipsed epidemic: cholera and other plagues **
In Sake, a small city southwest of Goma, the health situation has seriously deteriorated. In the local health center, more than 270 cases of cholera have already been recorded. This figure, alarming in itself, underlines the absence of sanitation systems and access to clean water following the destruction of infrastructure by conflicts. The combination of the absence of hygiene and overcrowding in the return camps generates a fertile soil for the spread of diseases.
The capacities of reception of the health structure are overwhelmed, with an influx of patients multiplied by three compared to the period before the conflict. Nurse Dunia Mwendakwabo Clover alerts on a risk of supplies of medication supply, exacerbated by the closure of the local airport. The situation is all the more critical since, despite the intervention of doctors without borders (MSF), health needs are largely exceeding the available resources.
** feel life **: a holistic approach to the crisis
The problem is therefore not only limited to a medical emergency. It also underlines the need for a holistic approach to respond to the humanitarian crisis. Beyond medical care, it is imperative to provide food security assistance, access to drinking water and psychosocial services. It is only with a concerted action encompassing these dimensions that the displaced families will really be able to regain a worthy and stable existence.
The call of Mulomba Georges, head of nursing at MSF, goes in this direction by requesting the involvement of other humanitarian organizations in the implementation of programs going beyond the strict medical framework. The intervention of actors specializing in water supply, agricultural revival and food security becomes, therefore, an absolute necessity.
** Alarming statistics: a striking inventory **
This crisis also highlights a broader reality, that of the recurring cycle of displaced and conflicts in the region. According to United Nations data, Congo-Kinshasa is one of the countries with the largest number of people in the world, with nearly 6.9 million internal displaced people in 2021. The orchestrated return of these families in precarious living conditions is a situation that institutions must take seriously. Returns must be planned with infrastructure and social services that meet minimum standards.
History has been repeated for years: prolonged conflicts, the degradation of infrastructure, and a lack of political will lead to predictable humanitarian crises.
** A call for collective action **
The call for the opening of a humanitarian corridor for the routing of drugs represents an opportunity for the outside world to mobilize. In this era of globalization where information circulates at high speed, these distress can no longer go unnoticed. The engagement of the international community must go beyond a simple emergency aid. The implementation of sustainable programs allowing the displaced to start again to live, to rebuild themselves and to integrate into their communities of origin is essential.
Initiatives including professional training, psychological support programs and infrastructure rehabilitation projects can transform this tragedy into an opportunity for resilience for these populations.
### Conclusion
The return of displaced people to North Kivu is a poignant witness to the consequences of a war that ignores human dignity. The existential challenges they face go far beyond the cholera epidemic. Each returned person is a story of loss, but also a potential for rebirth. In response, a collective and integrated action, involving each actor of the international community, is not only necessary, but imperative. In a context where everything seems broken, the development of a fertile soil for hope is the only way to follow.