Violence escalation fuels massive population displacement

Clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Congo River Alliance (AFC)/M23 and their respective allies across the Fizi Highlands have reignited long-standing intercommunal tensions. This surge in violence has triggered new waves of mass displacement. The regional displaced population now exceeds five million, including 1.9 million in South Kivu and Maniema provinces, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Without adequate reception facilities, nearly all displaced individuals have sought refuge with host families or in displacement camps such as Monge Monge. Access to clean water, food, and basic healthcare remains severely constrained for both local residents and displaced communities.

Distance and cost block critical healthcare access

Prolonged conflict has stripped many displaced families of their livelihoods. In response, MSF is scaling up its medical response and strengthening care services for communities devastated by the violence.

Ikupe Roger, 60, fled his village 18 months ago to escape relentless fighting. «When the clashes erupted, I left with my wife and our eight children to save our lives», he recalls. «The greatest challenge now is surviving in Baraka amid constant violence and insecurity. Before MSF arrived, healthcare access was nearly nonexistent. Paying over 100,000 Congolese francs for treatment is simply unaffordable». To support his family, he relies on farming, fishing, and small-scale poultry farming. Despite relentless effort, living conditions remain dire.

«Many families, deprived of income, can no longer afford transportation or basic medical care», explains Gianpietro Campedelli, MSF Project Coordinator in Baraka. As a result, patients often arrive at health facilities in critical condition, frequently too late to receive life-saving interventions.

Civilians fleeing violence face targeted attacks

Beyond injuries directly linked to combat, many displaced individuals suffer additional trauma from assaults endured during their journeys, particularly when crossing unstable zones.

Fatou, a 40-year-old woman now staying with a host family in Mwandiga, fled her village of Makobola under urgent circumstances. «Armed men struck me during our escape. They robbed us of everything we owned. Our village was deserted when we left, and everything left behind was looted», she recounts.

MSF bolsters health systems amid epidemics and injury surges

In Baraka, health facilities are overwhelmed by the dual burden of conflict-related injuries, recurrent cholera outbreaks, and a sharp rise in malaria cases. Overwhelmed by this cascade of emergencies, local health structures struggle to cope.

Since January 2026, MSF’s interventions have included:

• Supporting the Baraka General Referral Hospital with medical supplies, logistical assistance, and staff training to better manage the influx of wounded;
• Covering treatment costs for patients transferred for severe conditions, including severe malaria, acute respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases;
• Strengthening seven community health sites to enable early detection of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea cases.

In total, 26,234 patients have been treated, including 426 war-wounded individuals, 16,574 malaria cases, 2,953 diarrheal cases, and 3,832 pneumonia cases.

MSF teams are also leading the cholera response:

• 1,002 patients have been treated at the Baraka Cholera Treatment Center (CTC) since January;
• Distribution of hygiene kits;
• Installation of chlorination points and repair of manual water pumps in Baraka, Mwangaza, and Mushimbakye;
• Distribution of 488 essential item kits (soap, blankets, plates, and mosquito nets) in Monge Monge camp, alongside hygiene kits for 870 women in the same camp.

Expanded humanitarian mobilization urgently needed

Current efforts focus on reproductive health and care for survivors of sexual violence at the Baraka health center, while continuing water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives in the Monge Monge displacement camp. Yet, despite these interventions, needs far surpass available resources.

«MSF’s presence, though vital, cannot meet all the needs. A broader mobilization of humanitarian actors is urgently required to support populations enduring extreme health and social vulnerabilities», emphasizes Gianpietro Campedelli.