Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as a result of violent fighting between the M23 armed group and the Congolese army (known by the French acronym FARDC) in the areas of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The new mass relocation exacerbates the already dangerous situation for displaced individuals in both territories.
Prior to the latest battles in Nyiragongo, the territory was housing many people who had been displaced by the May 2021 volcano eruption. Fighting between the M23 and the FARDC in Rutshuru had already displaced roughly 50,000 people by the end of March 2022, with approximately 25,000 fleeing to Uganda. The majority have not yet returned home.
Following the fresh surge of violence in this region of North Kivu, it is believed that 117,000 people took safety in schools, churches, or with host families since the end of March. The majority of them had left everything behind.
Living circumstances are precarious.
“We are 18 families sleeping together, all crammed into a classroom,” said Noélla, who is living with two of her children in the school of Kinoni village, Rutshuru, with almost 350 other families. ”We no longer have access to our fields. We eat what we can find, but often it’s barely once a day.”
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MSF/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) established a mobile clinic in Kinoni hamlet, near the school where Noélla and many other families are sheltering, in early May.
The clinic has been operating at full capacity ever since. “We have done almost 2,200 consultations since we started the mobile clinic, which means we see 120 patients per day on average,” said Foura Sassou Madi, MSF’s chief of mission in DRC. “Malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhoea are the most common disorders we see.”
MSF also arranged for the provision of critical commodities including as plastic sheeting, buckets, cooking utensils, and soap to displaced households in Kinoni. Our staff also constructed showers and latrines to improve the village’s living conditions and hygiene.
“Many people who have been displaced tell us that they have difficulty finding enough food,” said Foura Sassou Madi. “Some have been displaced for over two months now. Displaced people in Rutshuru territory need a food distribution as soon as possible to avoid a further deterioration of their health.”
Access to healthcare and clean water is a top priority.
MSF began assisting health centers in the Mungo and Rutsiro localities of Rutshuru in mid-April to ensure access to free healthcare for both the host and displaced communities. “We treated over 1100 displaced people in the health center in April and May.
Some walked up to 5 kilometers to get here “Ezéchiel Biriko, head nurse at Rutsiro health center, agreed. Following the recent displacements, MSF is preparing to strengthen its response in Rutsiro, which is home to approximately 6,500 displaced people, with water and sanitation activities as well as additional support to the health center.
Access to healthcare and drinking water are also critical in Munigi, Nyiragongo, where the International Organization for Migration estimates 16,000 people have sought refuge (IOM). MSF is assisting in providing free care to all patients and has established a referral system for urgent cases to a hospital in Goma.
MSF trucks delivered more than 100m3 of drinking water per day to the health center and two other Munigi sites where many displaced people have temporarily settled in the last week of May.
“Access to safe drinking water is critical to reducing the risk of water-borne diseases like cholera, which is endemic in the region,” said Abdou Musengetsi Katumwa, MSF’s deputy medical coordinator in Goma.
Armed conflicts that have plagued North Kivu for over 20 years continue to have a negative impact on civilians. MSF has been working in Rutshuru territory since 2005, with four hospitals in Rutshuru, Bwiza, Kibirizi, and Bambu, as well as a dozen health centers. Since 2008, our teams in Goma have been involved in the cholera response.
APO Group distributed on behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).