Emergency food aid has resumed in several areas of North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a disruption caused by the M23 rebel offensive, APA learned on Tuesday.
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Monday via social media that over 200,000 people will receive nearly 3,000 tons of food in the localities of Sake, Shasha, and Bweremana—areas recently seized by the M23.
The armed group’s offensive, backed by Rwanda, began in January and peaked with the capture of Goma, North Kivu’s economic hub, the UN agency noted, highlighting escalating clashes in neighbouring South Kivu.
Meanwhile, displaced populations are beginning to return home. Around 300,000 people who fled fighting in Sake had sought refuge in Goma. Since the rebels took the city, many are heading back to their homes despite uncertain conditions, the WFP reported.
In total, nearly 90,000 individuals have returned to the Karuba region, though potable water remains unavailable, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.
Humanitarian law violations
As aid resumes, violations of international humanitarian law are surging in the region. In Goma, attacks have targeted hospitals, with dozens of patients—including several in critical condition—abducted by armed men, likely M23 members. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, condemned the abductions, noting that the patients were accused of being Congolese soldiers or pro-government militia members.
The UN reiterated that hospitals must be protected at all times and that the sick and injured are entitled to necessary care. Meanwhile, UNICEF has ramped up efforts to provide drinking water and sanitation services to 700,000 people in Goma, where water supplies were severely disrupted by the fighting.
With cholera and mpox epidemics persisting in the region, access to clean water has become critical.
UNICEF has set up chlorination sites along Lake Kivu to curb the spread of cholera—an outbreak that has claimed over 5,500 lives in the DRC over the past decade.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN’s peacekeeping chief, recently visited North Kivu. In Beni, he met with provincial governor General Évariste Somo Kakule, emphasising strong international alignment to support a resolution to the crisis in eastern DRC.
ODL/ac/lb/as/APA