The upsurge in armed conflict and other situations of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is taking a devastating humanitarian toll, especially in the east of the country. Read our report for an update.
The humanitarian and medical toll of the violence is appalling. Death and injury are a daily reality. Since the upsurge in fighting, weapon-wounded patients have been pouring into ICRC-supported CBCA Ndosho Hospital in Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
In 2023, the ICRC recorded numerous incidents in which people's access to health care was infringed, mostly in Goma. These mainly involved acts of violence against health services, when armed men burst into health-care facilities, and situations where health workers were forced to break medical ethics or other rules protecting the wounded and sick. Ensuring respect for and the protection of health care lies at the heart of the ICRC's concerns and its dialogue with all weapon bearers.
Download our report "The Forgotten People of North Kivu"
Garuka Furaha, 45 years old, was displaced in Sake town for three months. She was admitted to CBCA Ndosho Hospital on 12 February 2024. She tells us:
"From the hill that you can see from the camp, we could hear the sound of fighting from early morning. Suddenly, at around 2pm, a bomb fell on the camp. Some people were killed outright and others, like me, were evacuated here by bus in the evening. A piece of shrapnel pierced my right eye and injured my shoulder. I don't know where my other children are. I only know that my 16-year-old daughter was also wounded in the neck. I consider myself lucky even if I have only one eye left, because some people are dead and others have lost limbs."
While most people flee to Goma or other big towns, some get stranded in remote forest enclaves. Only 20 per cent of displaced people reach camps where they can receive aid from humanitarian organizations. The rest are taken in by locals, who are themselves buckling under the burden of years of violence. Precious little relief reaches them, as access routes are unsafe and the logistical obstacles immense.
