Attachments
BACKGROUND
Context and Needs
The ongoing fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo has left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced, deepening the country’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis over the past decade (UN Peacekeeping).
Armed conflicts have resumed more intensely, over the past three years, between the regular army and its allies; the Wazalendo and M23 groups.
The most recent fighting that occurred in January and February 2025, was extremely violent, and resulted in the capture of the towns of Goma (North Kivu) and Bukavu (South Kivu) respectively. This recent fighting resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, especially during the capture of the town of Goma according to Relief Web sources.
Reports from the United Nations and the Red Cross movement put the death toll to at least 3,000 people, with thousands injured in hospitals and at least 500,000 people newly displaced.
Serious cases of protection incidents have been reported, such as assassinations, murders, and an increase in cases of rape and gender-based violence (Global Centre).
The conflict situation has exacerbated the difficult living conditions already faced by the populations of North and South Kivu Provinces to such an extent that the number of people in crisis phase (Phase 3+) has increased and the number of people in phase 4 (famine phase) is estimated to be more than 100,000 (IPC report).
In March 2025, members of ACT DRC Forum conducted need assessments in Rutshuru Territory while in South Kivu Province the assessment was conducted in Kalehe Territory. The assessment identified urgent needs in areas like non-food items, shelter, food, water and sanitation infrastructure, seeds and farming tools, healthcare and protection and revealed high levels of vulnerability among displaced persons, returnees, and host families. There was need for the protection of women and girls for psychosocial care, health, legal and judicial support, and socio- economic reintegration.
The assessment also found that thousands of people who had fled the fighting initially were forced by the authorities to return to their areas of origin and an approximate 60% have returned. Even though some displaced people have returned to their areas of origin, some are still moving and staying with host families, while others remained in displacement camps (this is specific to the territory of Kalehe).