Attachments
ADVOCACY NOTE
A Call for Action in Safeguarding Dignity and Saving Women’s Lives: Clinical and Psychosocial Support for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Eastern DRC's Protection Crisis
Tens of thousands: According to the GBV AoR’s 6W mapping tool, there is a significant increase in number of reported cases of sexual violence during the first quarter (January–March) of 2025 from the last quarter of 2024 in the North Kivu province only representing 61% of GBV incidents. In reality, tens of thousands more women and girls at risk are no longer receiving care.
Increases in Gender-based Violence:
The recent escalation of conflict at the end of January 2025 between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and non-state armed groups in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), resulted in the devastation of communities. Mass displacement and the breakdown of social structures further weakened the protection system and increased the vulnerability of women and girls to GBV. Hundreds of cases of GBV, including rape, sexual exploitation, intimate partner violence, and conflict-related sexual violence, are reported weekly in the eastern part of the DRC, particularly in South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika. Actual numbers are likely much higher due to underreporting caused by fear, stigma, and limited access to services. In April 2025, UN Officials raised grave concerns about the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence as a strategy of war by parties to the conflict, and called for the protection of civilians and respect of International Humanitarian Law. [1] [2] [3] The destruction and looting of healthcare facilities during the conflict have weakened an already fragile health system. The recent US defunding, which resulted in a 37 per cent reduction of funding for protection - including gender-based violence, and over 50 per cent of sexual and reproductive health services in DRC, has further compounded the situation, leaving the health system on the brink of collapse. As a consequence, survivors are unable to access medical care, including clinical management for rape services and psychosocial support. These factors result in long-term physical, psychological, and emotional trauma; hindering recovery and reintegration into society.
The lack of the post-rape kits for the clinical management of rape (CMR) in the eastern part of DRC is alarming. The recent US funding cuts and the looting of the main UNFPA warehouse in Goma, which resulted in a loss of approximately 3 million USD worth of reproductive health supplies, have created a shortage of post-rape kits at a time when the need for them is surging. The post-rape kit mapping conducted by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Working Group (SRH WG) under the Health Cluster in June 2025 shows limited stocks in the eastern part of the country, with many health facilities facing complete stockouts. Only 7 of the 34 health zones in North Kivu currently hold a minimal stock of post-rape kits, and the majority of recorded cases of survivors seeking medical assistance remain unaddressed. Without these vital medical supplies, women and girls are at risk of suffering from complication of injuries (including genital injuries), unintended pregnancy and pregnancy complications such as unsafe fatal abortions, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, urinary tract infections, fistula, etc.