UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo

This article is published in association with United Nations.

United Nations agencies on Friday called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between Government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group expands. 

The rebels have already seized the provincial capital, Goma, and reports indicate that they are closing in on the key city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province.

The hostilities are occurring in a mineral-rich region that has been volatile for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes over the years and seek safety in displacement camps.

WFP

A camp in eastern DR Congo provides security for some of the seven million displaced people in the country.

Critical supplies dwindling

UN humanitarians warn that the situation continue to worsen for civilians likely trapped by days of intense fighting in and around Goma, which has a population of over one million.

Displacement camps on the city’s outskirts, previously hosting more than 300,000 people, are emptying out as people flee the violence. Medical services are overwhelmed by the number of injured, both civilians and military personnel.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said water and food are running low, and the next 24 hours are crucial.

“People are really running out of food, clean water, medical supplies and that’s a big concern. So, the supply chain has really been strangled at the moment,” said WFP Spokesperson Shelley Thakral.

Several WFP warehouses have been looted and teams are taking stock of what they will need to procure locally and transfer by road to ensure they have provisions once operations resume in the critically affected areas.

WFP’s priority is keeping its staff and their dependents safe, and only critical staff remain in the area who are getting ready to resume operations as soon security permits.

Summary executions and sexual violence

Meanwhile, the human rights crisis also continues to deepen in the east.  

At least two sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been bombed, causing civilian casualties, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, reported.

Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said OHCHR has documented summary executions of at least 12 people by the M23 between 26 and 28 January.

The Office has also documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory, located in South Kivu.  

It is also verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape.

Violations could worsen

Meanwhile, in other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, fighters have occupied schools and hospitals, forced IDPs out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.

Additionally, DRC officials report that at least 165 women were raped by male inmates during the mass prison break from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.

Mr. Laurence recalled that conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks deepening the risk of conflict-related sexual violence much further.“

End the violence

He said OHCHR continues to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and is working with UN colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety. 

“As M23 reportedly advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, the High Commissioner calls for an end to the violence and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.

Recognize the crisis

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also voiced deep concern over the hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the heavy fighting and violence in Goma, some of whom were already previously displaced.

IOM appealed to the international community to recognize the staggering scale of the crisis and support the humanitarian response. 

“With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse,” said Director General Amy Pope. 

“IOM joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access, so that we can rapidly scale up our response and ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need.”   

Appeal for support

The UN agency has been supporting displaced and host communities in Goma and surrounding areas by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other aid.

IOM warned, however, that both the agency and humanitarian partners are struggling to meet the urgent needs in the DRC.

This year, humanitarians are seeking $2.5 billion for the country, with at least $50 million urgently needed to address the latest displacement, scale-up life-saving assistance, and prevent further suffering.

Death and disease

Humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses and the offices of aid organizations, the UN said on Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners conducted an assessment with the Government over the past five days.

They report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 injured are receiving treatment in health facilities, though numbers are expected rise as more information becomes available. 

On Friday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and partners visited sites for internally displaced people in the areas of Bulengo and Lushagala, located on the outskirts of Goma.

They found that water and healthcare services are still operational, but conditions remain dire. However, cholera cases have been reported and there are risks of an Mpox outbreak among displaced people.

OCHA warned that without urgent action, the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks will continue to increase.