Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
• UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi visited DRC and Rwanda from 25 to 29 August, calling for stronger international support for peace and humanitarian efforts to enable the safe return of refugees and internally displaced people.
• On 22 August, the UN Security Council held an emergency session on escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, noting that diplomatic efforts have yet to translate into improved security conditions on the ground
• The heavy presence of armed actors continues to create a precarious protection environment in eastern DRC, with civilians directly affected by hostilities and exposed to displacement, human rights violations, and exploitation.
• UNHCR and partners continue to strengthen protection efforts in North and South Kivu through training, community awareness, support to survivors of gender-based violence, and assistance to displaced people in collective centres.
• In August, 533 Rwandan refugees were voluntarily repatriated from Goma Transit Centre to Rwanda, while 261 Burundian refugees returned from South Kivu to Burundi.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to face one of its worst cholera outbreaks in recent history, with 44,800 cases reported in the first seven months of 2025.
• Almost 122,500 people have fled eastern DRC to neighboring countries since the start of the year. Although the number of new arrivals has dropped significantly compared to earlier peaks, the arrival rates remain substantially higher than the same period in 2024.