Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region by Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator
As prepared for delivery
Madam President, distinguished members of the Security Council, Special Envoy Xia, thank you for this opportunity to brief the Council on the humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region.
This month we commemorate 30 years since the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, an atrocity that - in the words of the Secretary-General - is "a stain on our collective consciousness."
This milestone is a brutal reminder of the importance of sustained international attention and action where the situation demands it.
Madam President,
I will focus my remarks on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the country with the highest number of people in need in the world. I was struck, when I visited in February last year, by the scale and depth of this immense crisis.
Since then, the crisis has deteriorated even further.
As we have repeatedly warned the Council, the DRC is the most food insecure country in the world, with close to one in four Congolese - or 23.4 million people - experiencing acute hunger.
It is also facing massive levels of displacement. More than 7.2 million people are now internally displaced. Between December 2023 and March 2024 alone, this increased by an alarming 700,000 people.
Please allow me to zoom in on the situation in the three most affected provinces: South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri.
In South Kivu, the crisis is deepening as armed groups continue to strengthen their capacity and extend their presence, particularly in the "Haut Plateau" sections of Fizi and Uvira territories. Some 280,000 people have arrived in Minova in South Kivu since early February, fleeing fighting in North Kivu.
In North Kivu, armed fighting, looting of health facilities, damage to schools, and severe restrictions on humanitarian access have exacerbated the plight of displaced people. More than 230,000 people were forced to flee their homes in February alone, many seeking refuge in Goma and its outskirts. As of March, more than 100 displacement sites have been created in and around Goma, hosting an overwhelming 630,000 people.
Finally, in Ituri, inter-communal violence and attacks between the Zaire and CODECO armed groups have increased steadily over the past six months. Almost 200 attacks have taken place since the start of the year, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.
Across the three provinces, the presence of MONUSCO bases has until now provided a degree of protection for civilians. It has also played a critical role in facilitating humanitarian access. Against the backdrop of intensifying violence, humanitarian organizations are deeply concerned about the potential impact of MONUSCO's ongoing withdrawal.
Madam President,
Allow me to highlight the particularly worrying impact of the crisis on women and children.
Eastern DRC is today one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a woman or a girl.
In the overcrowded camps around Goma, often with no lighting, no privacy, inadequate hygiene facilities, and minimal safety measures, women and girls are exposed to atrocious levels of abuse.
Reported cases of gender-based violence have soared: from 40,000 cases in 2021, to 78,000 in 2022. In 2023, this number reached 123,000, an increase of more than 300 per cent. It continues to rise.
Tragically, underreporting and limited resources for survivor services mean the real numbers are likely far higher.
The link between gender-based violence and the escalating conflict is unambiguous: two thirds of all cases have occurred in the three eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.
Despite these risks, we can only marvel at the determination and courage of Congolese women and women's organizations - and today we have the privilege of having one of these women present with us.
Madam President,
The conflict has led to a significant increase in the dangers for children. This includes the recruitment and use of children - predominantly boys - by armed groups, as well as abduction, killing, maiming and sexual violence against children.
Families are being forced into actions of last resort, including early and forced child marriage. Today, 37 per cent of girls in the DRC are forcibly married before the age of 18.
Furthermore, the closure of at least 772 schools in 2023 has deprived more than 300,000 girls and boys of an education, with lasting impacts for them and the future of their country.
Madam President,
The repercussions of the conflict in DRC extend well beyond its borders.
Around 1 million people have now sought refuge in neighbouring countries. More than half are in Uganda.
Any further escalation in conflict would be extremely concerning for a region already grappling with numerous challenges.
These include the spread of measles and cholera in DRC, which risk crossing over into neighbouring countries.
As well as the continued impact of El Niño and above normal rainfall, both in the eastern part of DRC as well as in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Madam President,
The humanitarian community has stepped up its efforts in response to the escalating situation.
From 16 June until the end of December last year, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths activated a system-wide scale-up of the humanitarian response for North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri in DRC.
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Targeted efforts by our humanitarian colleagues on the ground meant that nearly 4 million people received humanitarian assistance across the three provinces between July and December 2023.
And across the country, as of February this year, humanitarian organizations had already reached 2.6 million people with some form of support, with local women's organizations playing a key role.
But let me be clear: the humanitarian operation is dangerously overstretched.
As in many places, our efforts are being severely limited by woefully inadequate funding.
So far, we have received just 16 per cent of the US$2.6 billion required to reach 8.7 million people in need in DRC in 2024.
Madam President,
As I witnessed during my visit last year, the people of DRC are astonishingly resilient.
But they are being pushed to the brink of catastrophe by overwhelming challenges. They need our support.
Urgent steps must be taken to resolve the conflict and avoid further deterioration of the situation in DRC, and across the region.
After so many years, people in DRC - and in the Great Lakes region - deserve the opportunity to live in peace, and to build the safe, secure and prosperous lives that this richly abundant region promises.
Thank you.
