Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Nearly 7 million people displaced

For several decades, the Congolese people, under the pressure of multiple crises, have been deprived of their most fundamental rights. For IOM, the DRC is facing one of the largest internal displacement and humanitarian crises in the world, requiring intensified efforts to address this complex and ongoing crisis.

As reported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) until October 2023, a recorded 6.9 million people have been uprooted by conflict and ongoing violence which is persistently escalating, mostly in the east of the country, exposing many Congolese to the risk of humanitarian issues and leading to one of the largest humanitarian crises worldwide.

For several decades, people of Congo have tolerated a storm of crises, depriving them of their most basic rights. As highlighted by the IOM, with ongoing conflict and escalating violence, the DRC is facing one of the largest internal displacement and complex humanitarian crises in the world, requiring intensified efforts to deal with the complex and uninterrupted crisis.

Up to October 2023, most internally displaced persons (IDPs), making up nearly 81% of the total people internally displaces (approximately 5.6 million), lived in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika, while more than two-thirds of IDPs (an estimated number of nearly 4.8 million) live in host families. Only in North Kivu, conflict with a Tutsi-led rebel group has resulted in the displacement of up to one million civilians. However, with the deterioration of security conditions, especially in North Kivu and Ituri, more frequent and extensive displacements are evident, subsequently escalating humanitarian issues and needs which may be difficult to address in such a situation.

Many of those who have fled their homes but stayed within the DRC’s boarders are in desperate need of assistance with meeting their basic needs. Although IOM reported that since June it has built 3347 emergency shelters and distributed 7715 kits with non-food supplies, aiming to support an additional 10,000 households (50,000 individuals) in the next three months,  the needs of IDPs go beyond this, and failure to consider their current conditions can threaten the lives of many. In the current conditions, many more people desperately require assistance, while humanitarian organizations are underfunded to address the most pressing needs of communities affected by protracted and ongoing internal displacement.