The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised a red flag over the deepening humanitarian crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where persistent violence and a deadly cholera outbreak are wreaking havoc on civilian populations.
According to OCHA, ongoing clashes between local armed groups and M23 rebels in North and South Kivu continue to claim lives, injure civilians, and displace thousands. Fresh fighting was reported Thursday in the town of Masisi Centre, North Kivu — one of the epicenters of the long-running conflict.
Meanwhile, the southern province of Tanganyika is confronting a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak, with over 1,450 confirmed cases and 27 deaths recorded since January — a staggering six-fold increase from the same period last year. Health officials say the situation is dire, as nine of the province’s eleven health zones have already been affected.
UN health partners have stressed the urgency of improving access to clean drinking water, revealing that less than 20 percent of the affected areas have adequate water supply. Medical resources remain critically insufficient to cope with the growing crisis.
The twin emergencies — conflict-driven displacement and the cholera outbreak — continue to strain the country’s fragile health and humanitarian systems. The UN has called on the international community to respond swiftly to prevent further loss of life and to provide immediate assistance to the affected communities.
