The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faces a deepening humanitarian crisis as escalating violence has displaced more than 230,000 people since the start of 2025. The resource-rich eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, ravaged by three decades of conflict, are at the epicenter of this under-reported crisis.
According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), clashes between non-state armed groups and the Congolese military have forced widespread displacement, exacerbating the plight of more than 4.6 million internally displaced people already sheltering in these provinces. The M23 rebel group, designated a “terrorist movement” by the DRC government, has emerged as a dominant force in the region. Since 2021, M23 has seized significant territories, including the strategic town of Masisi in North Kivu earlier this month.
The violence has triggered large-scale displacements in North Kivu’s Masisi and Lubero territories, where intense fighting from January 1 to 6 forced an estimated 150,000 people to flee their homes. Many sought refuge within Masisi territory near its main town, Goma, only to be uprooted again as the conflict spread. In neighboring South Kivu’s Fizi territory, local authorities report that 84,000 people are now displaced and have appealed for international humanitarian assistance.
The toll on civilians is severe, with indiscriminate bombings, sexual violence, and heavy artillery strikes in populated areas resulting in significant casualties, including children. Armed groups have occupied civilian homes, further eroding the distinction between combatants and non-combatants.
Humanitarian access remains dangerously limited. Displaced families are in desperate need of food, water, shelter, and medical care, while many are forced to crowd into makeshift shelters, public buildings, or overwhelmed host communities. Roadblocks, insecurity, and the presence of armed actors have left relief agencies struggling to reach those most in need.
A temporary lull in violence on January 4 allowed around 25,000 displaced people to return to Masisi-Center. However, renewed clashes on January 9 forced many to flee once again, underscoring the fragility of the situation. Civilians in the region face ongoing threats, including forced recruitment, displacement, and targeted violence.
Repeated cycles of displacement have devastated communities, severing social ties and leaving people without homes, land, or livelihoods. Essential services such as healthcare and access to clean water are virtually nonexistent in many areas. Children, many of whom have dropped out of school, face heightened risks of recruitment by armed groups or exploitation as child laborers.
Rights groups have highlighted that gender-based violence in the African country remains pervasive, with displaced women particularly vulnerable. Many face sexual assault while venturing into forests to gather firewood, which they sell to feed their families.
As M23 consolidates its control over large swathes of eastern DRC, the region’s resource wealth continues to fuel conflict, drawing in a range of armed groups vying for dominance. Rights groups warn that without urgent international intervention, the humanitarian crisis will deepen, leaving displaced populations caught in an unrelenting cycle of violence and deprivation.
