Escalating violence fuels mass displacement

Clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC)/M23, alongside their respective allies in the Fizi Hauts plateaux, exacerbate long-standing intercommunal tensions. This surge in violence has triggered new, massive population displacements. The number of displaced individuals in the region has climbed to nearly five million, with 1.9 million concentrated in South Kivu and Maniema alone.

With a critical absence of adequate reception facilities, almost all displaced persons have sought refuge with host families or in informal displacement camps such as Monge Monge. Access to clean water, sufficient food, and basic healthcare remains a formidable challenge for both local communities and those who have been displaced.

Distance and cost hinder healthcare access

The relentless conflicts in the region have caused countless displaced families to lose their primary sources of income. In response to this dire situation, MSF is adapting its operations and strengthening its healthcare provisions for communities impacted by the violence.

Ikupe Roger, 60, recounts fleeing his village a year and a half ago to escape hostilities. “When the fighting erupted, I left with my wife and our eight children to save our lives,” he shares. “My main worry today is simply to remain in Baraka, despite the pervasive violence and insecurity. Before MSF arrived, there was virtually no access to medical care. Paying over 100,000 Congolese francs for treatment is simply impossible for us.” To provide for his children, he relies on agriculture, fishing, and a small poultry farm. Despite these tireless efforts, living conditions remain exceptionally precarious.

“Stripped of resources, many can no longer afford transportation or access fundamental healthcare,” explains Gianpietro Campedelli, MSF Project Coordinator in Baraka. Consequently, numerous patients arrive at health facilities in a critical condition, often too late to receive life-saving treatment.

Civilians fleeing violence become targets

Beyond injuries directly sustained in clashes, many individuals also endure trauma and physical harm resulting from assaults encountered en route, particularly during their arduous journeys through highly unstable areas.

Fatou, a 40-year-old woman now residing with a host family in Mwandiga, fled her village of Makobola in haste. “During our escape, I was beaten by armed men. We were also stripped of everything we owned. When we left, the village was deserted, and everything we left behind was looted,” she recounts.

MSF bolsters health system against epidemics and injuries

In Baraka, local health establishments are simultaneously grappling with an influx of conflict-related injuries, recurrent cholera epidemics, and a significant rise in malaria cases. Overwhelmed by this confluence of emergencies, healthcare structures struggle to cope.

In response to these urgent needs, between January and April, MSF undertook the following actions: 

• Provided support to the Baraka General Reference Hospital through crucial medical and logistical supplies, alongside training sessions for healthcare personnel, to enhance their capacity to manage the influx of wounded patients;
• Covered the treatment costs for patients transferred with severe pathologies, including severe forms of malaria, acute respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases;
• Supported seven community health sites for the rapid detection of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea cases.

 

In total, 26,234 patients received care, comprising 426 war-wounded, 16,574 treated for malaria, 2,953 for diarrheal diseases, and 3,832 for pneumonia.

Our teams also played a vital role in responding to epidemics:

• 1,002 patients have been treated at the Baraka Cholera Treatment Center (CTC), supported by MSF, since January;
• Distribution of essential hygiene kits;
• Installation of chlorination points and repair of manual water pumps in Baraka, Mwangaza, and Mushimbakye;
• Distribution of 488 essential kits (containing soap, blankets, plates, and mosquito nets) within the Monge Monge displaced persons camp, and feminine hygiene kits to 870 women in the same camp.

Broader humanitarian mobilization is essential

Currently, our teams are concentrating their efforts on reproductive health and providing care for survivors of sexual violence at the Baraka health center, while also continuing their critical Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) initiatives within the Monge Monge displaced persons camp.

However, the overall situation remains deeply troubling. Despite ongoing interventions, the needs far exceed the available response capacity. “MSF’s presence, while absolutely essential, is not sufficient to cover the entirety of the needs. A broader mobilization of other humanitarian actors is more than necessary to assist populations who remain highly exposed to health and social vulnerabilities,” concludes Gianpietro Campedelli.