DR Congo crisis: WFP condemns looting in Bukavu after M23 rebels take key city

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has condemned the looting of thousands of tonnes of relief supplies in the city of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels swept in at the weekend, reportedly meeting little resistance.

In an online message on Monday, the WFP said that it “condemns the pillage of its warehouses in Bukavu in South Kivu…the food supplies kept there were meant to provide vital support to the most vulnerable families who now face a growing humanitarian crisis”.

Looters made off with 7,000 tonnes of humanitarian food supplies, the UN agency said, adding that as violence spreads and access to food becomes increasingly difficult, “WFP stands ready to resume essential food aid to the most vulnerable as soon as it is safe to do so”.

The UN agency also urged all parties to the conflict “to respect their obligations vis-à-vis international humanitarian law”, which includes the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

The development came as M23 fighters made continuing gains in eastern DRC, after taking control of Goma – capital of North Kivu province – at the end of January. Hostilities have continued in this mineral-rich region for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes.

Aid routes blocked

In an alert, the top UN aid official in the country, Bruno Lemarquis, warned last Thursday that a shortage of humanitarian routes was threatening the aid operation in the mineral-rich region.

Before the M23’s latest offensive at the beginning of the year, Mr. Lemarquis recalled that the humanitarian situation in South Kivu was already dire.

Roughly 1.65 million people, or just over 20 per cent of the province’s population, had been displaced for a wide range of reasons.

On Saturday, the UN Secretary-General warned of the potential for the conflict to spark a regional war, before calling for “African diplomacy to solve the problem”.

Speaking on the sidelines of the African Union Summit, António Guterres told journalists that it was “time to silence the guns, it’s time for diplomacy and dialogue. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected.”

MONUSCO, the international UN peacekeeping force in DRC, will continue to provide support, the UN chief continued, although he cautioned that “a peacekeeping force can’t solve the problem because there is no peace to keep”.

He insisted, on the other hand that the conflict “will be solved if there is an effective African unit and African diplomacy to solve the problem”.

Mr. Guterres pointed to the crucial importance of efforts such as the recently held joint summit by the South African Development Community in Tanzania, which resulted in a clear pathway for an immediate ceasefire. 

330,000 additional children out of school

Fierce conflict since the start of the year has forced more than 2,500 schools and learning spaces in North Kivu and South Kivu to close, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said on Monday.

With schools shuttered, damaged or destroyed or turned into shelters, 795,000 children are now being deprived of education – up from 465,000 in December 2024.

“This is a desperate situation for children,” said Jean Francois Basse, UNICEF’s acting Representative in DR Congo. “Education – and the support systems it provides – is what children need to retain a sense of normalcy and to recover and rebuild after this conflict.”    

UNICEF is supporting the continuity of education in eastern DRC by working with partners to set up temporary learning spaces and distribute school materials, while exploring radio-based education to reach the most children.

As part of its overall humanitarian appeal, UNICEF is seeking $52 million to meet the urgent educational needs of a staggering 480,000 children lacking access across the vast African nation.