The current phase of fighting erupted in late January in the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and the armed M23 group.
Despite security challenges , UN agencies and peacekeepers have pledged to stay and deliver amid rising deaths and injuries alongside an alarming spread of highly contagious mpox and other endemic diseases as the rainy season intensifies.
Here's what you need to know about how the UN, its peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies are helping on the ground in this central African country of 105 million people, many currently facing urgent multipronged crises.
Humanitarian assistance
Operating in DRC since 1960, when the country declared its independence from Belgium's colonial rule and became a UN Member State, UN field agencies have served those in need, from education and lifesaving vaccines to food and shelter for people displaced by the current spiralling violence. The country has been caught in cycles of violence over the decades with an uptick of violence in the early 2000s and the emergence of the M23 armed group.
Even though recent deadly clashes led to the deaths of peacekeepers and the temporary relocation of non-essential UN staff from North Kivu in the eastern region last week, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA , reports that teams are currently on the ground, where they say needs are growing .
Just a few details for context:
- According to OCHA, 21 million people needed humanitarian assistance before the current clashes erupted. That number now climbs daily as violence spreads and M23 groups seize cities and towns. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing clashes in Goma, Sake and towns in South Kivu near densely populated camps housing tens of thousands already displaced by the sporadic violence in the restive region.
7 million are on the move across the country with some 700,000 displaced in North and South Kivu.
Women in Goma in the eastern DRC collect food provided by the UN and its partners.
Food to shelter
In a deteriorating environment, food insecurity is on the rise as other health, shelter and living conditions worsen. For example:
- Currently, 2.7 million people face severe food insecurity in the eastern towns of Ituri and North and South Kivu, OCHA reported . As such, the agency is currently working with such partners as the UN food agency (WFP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver lifesaving aid, from groceries to medical supplies and services.
- The UN refugee agency, UNCHR, is providing protection and assistance to those forced to flee.
- The UN human rights agency, OHCHR, is connecting those in need with UN partners .
Meanwhile, the UN migration organization, IOM , is supporting displaced and host communities in and around Goma by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services and camp coordination and management services. It is also monitoring population movements through its displacement tracking matrix , which informs humanitarian agencies of critical information for effective response efforts.
A three-week-old girl suffering from mpox in the emergency room at Kavumu Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)
Public health 'nightmare'
- The UN health agency reported that repeated mass displacement has created a public health "nightmare" with ideal conditions for the spread of many endemic diseases, from cholera to mpox , in camps and communities around North and South Kivu. WHO teams remain in place to deliver much-needed healthcare services as hospitals are overwhelmed by growing numbers of patients injured by the ongoing violence. Thousands of doses of mpox vaccines are stockpiled and ready to be administered.
- The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is responding to urgent needs, including deliveries of emergency medical kits to hospitals in Goma to treat more than 50,000 people affected by the violence.
- A breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has also led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications, and recurrent kidnappings, rape and exploitation continue to be wielded as weapons of war against women and girls, according to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
- While the agency suspended staff travel to camps for displaced people due to the security crisis, UNFPA continues to provide lifesaving support , from mobile clinics to rapidly adapting to respond to the needs of the newly displaced. However, due to swiftly growing needs, these and other UN agencies are calling for urgent support to fund emergency operations.
To support the DRC Humanitarian Fund, click here .
Peacekeeping operations
The UN peacekeeping mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, was mandated by the Security Council in 2010 to assist the Congolese Government in protecting civilians and humanitarians as well as help with its peace and stabilisation efforts. Peacekeeping operations are often located in conflict areas but their responsibilities and those of the humanitarian agencies are distinct, although complementary, in terms of protecting and meeting the needs of civilians.
Read our explainer on UN peacekeeping history in DRC, dating back to 1960, here .
While the 11,500 UN Blue Helmets were meant to disengage by 2025, the Security Council renewed the mandate at the request of the government in late December.
Weeks later, MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita told the Security Council in an emergency meeting held on Sunday, 26 January that "we are trapped."
Over the last week, M23 combatants have killed almost 20 peacekeepers serving with the UN and the South African Development Community (SADC) mission in the country, both mandated to provide combat support for the Congolese armed forces.
Working closely with Congolese authorities
In line with its civilian protection mandate, the UN mission has enhanced its support to the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and is actively participating in combat along with the SADC security mission in the country, the UN mission chief explained to the Council.
Since then, the MONUSCO chief has held discussions with top officials, including the prime minister and the leaders of the army and police. A joint government-MONUSCO group has also been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23.
Learn more about MONUSCO here .
Addressing the roots of the crises
The clashes in the east date back to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda. The sporadic fighting has been deadly and vicious, as shown in the Congolese military court's landmark case against armed group leader Sheka, which was instrumental in recognising rape as a war crime.
Watch our award-winning documentary on bringing a war criminal to justice here .
The crisis remains partly rooted in the rare mineral deposits dotting the border areas of DRC and Rwanda. DRC's vast deposits of precious metals, gems and rare minerals include gold and diamonds along with key components used in making mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Coltan, tin, tantalum, tungsten and others are known as conflict minerals, which are mined and sold by armed groups to finance their militias.
