Attachments
HIGHLIGHTS
- Peace talks between the Government of the DRC and M23 are reportedly scheduled to begin on 18 March in Angola.
- Following an Extraordinary Summit on 13 March SADC announced the phased withdrawal of the SADC Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC).
- Since the beginning of the year, over 94,000 people from DRC have sought protection in neighbouring countries, including some 66,000 individuals who have been granted prima facie refugee status in Burundi and nearly 25,000 in Uganda.
- The Burundi and Uganda Contingency Plans have been activated having met or exceeded the predefined number of arrivals that trigger their activation. UNHCR in Burundi has activated the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM) in collaboration with the Government.
- In the DRC, UNHCR in collaboration with partners, continues to carry out protection monitoring as well as deliver awareness sessions focusing on community coexistence, conflict management, sexual violence, and mine risks.
- UNHCR, OCHA, AIDES, and Oxfam conducted a joint mission to Sake, North Kivu, where IDP returns have increased after site closures in Goma. Urgent needs include shelter, food, WASH, and protection, with many relying on host families or makeshift shelters.
- OCHA estimates that 626,000 people were displaced inside DRC in the four months between October 2024 and January 2025.
- According to the latest update from the Education Cluster in the DRC an estimated 692 schools in North Kivu and 5,235 schools in South Kivu remain closed, having been instructed to shut following the escalation of hostilities in January.
- The Nutrition Cluster warns that ongoing fighting has severely disrupted nutrition support in North and South Kivu.