The International Organization for Migration has raised the alarm over the crisis in Eastern DR Congo.
According to the Global Conflict Tracker, the conflict, which started in 1996, has claimed at least 6 million lives.
In December 2023, fighting between the military and rebel groups flared up in the region, leading to desperate humanitarian conditions that have culminated in the displacement of at least 6.9 million people. Host communities and families are also buckling under the pressure of scarce resources and overcrowding.
The IOM estimates that 1.77 million people in North Kivu have been displaced, with over 77,700 people fleeing to South Kivu since April 2024.
In a recent publication, the humanitarian body revealed that armed groups continue to worsen an already fragile situation, with vulnerable IDPs facing theft, burglary, bribery, harassment, abuse, and isolation from commodity supply routes.
“The humanitarian situation is dire. Armed groups continue to exacerbate violence, causing widespread displacement and straining an already fragile context. Earlier this month, a massacre of 42 people occurred in Lubero territory. In recent days, the strategically located town of Kanyabayonga has reportedly been seized,” the IOM revealed.
The IOM says the problem extends beyond North Kivu. Recent conflicts in Fizi territory have similarly displaced nearly 30,000 people.
The situation in South Kivu was exacerbated by floods along Lake Tanganyika that further displaced 50,000 people.
The IOM says it is ill-equipped to tackle the number of IDPs in need of humanitarian assistance. Its 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan needs 2.6 US billion dollars to help the millions of displaced persons. Only 16% of that amount has been raised.
