DRC humanitarian crisis 'world's most neglected', says UN

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South Kivu: Health alert due to measles, cholera and Mpox

Published on Wed, 05/11/2025 - 11:14 | Modified on Wed, 05/11/2025 - 11:14

South Kivu is facing a critical epidemiological situation, marked by the simultaneous resurgence of three major infectious diseases: measles, cholera, and Mpox (monkeypox). This was announced on Wednesday, November 5th, by the provincial chief medical officer of health, Dr. Aimé Alengo Odudu, who painted an alarming picture of the situation.

According to data compiled between the 1st and 43rd weeks of 2025, the province recorded:

7,961 cases of measles and 164 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 2.06% in 21 health zones
19,011 cases of Mpox and 17 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.69% in 34 health zones
10,900 cases of cholera and 75 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 0.69% in 16 health zones

A new threat: polio

Dr. Alengo also warned of an emerging polio epidemic, confirmed by laboratory testing. The province is now classified as high-risk, and health authorities are preparing a vaccination response in a context of war, where several areas of the province, including the city of Bukavu, are under the control of the M23-AFC rebellion.

"The big challenge is care. There is a real problem with the availability of medicines, especially for children under 5. Even organizing responses is becoming difficult in the current context," he said.

A call to action

Faced with this triple health crisis, provincial authorities are calling for the urgent mobilization of humanitarian and technical partners to:

Strengthening response capacities,
Supplying healthcare facilities with essential medicines,
Protecting the most vulnerable populations, especially children.

The situation in South Kivu illustrates the growing public health challenges in areas affected by insecurity, population displacement and a lack of medical resources.

https://www.radiookapi.net/2025/11/05/actualite/sante/sud-kivu-alerte-sanitaire-face-la-rougeole-au-cholera-et-au-mpox

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Congolese refugees in Burundi in dire need of support


Press Release 23 December 2025

• More than 88,000 refugees have fled to Burundi, facing dire living conditions and limited access to basic needs.
• There is a high risk of epidemic diseases, including cholera, measles and malaria.
• Overwhelming needs require immediate mobilisation to provide vital healthcare and essential support.

Bujumbura - According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 88,000 refugees have fled to Burundi since the recent escalation of violence in South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. People face dire living conditions in the camps, with limited access to clean water, food, hygiene and basic needs, as people kept arriving during the last days. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is expanding its emergency response and warns about the risk of the spread of epidemic diseases such as cholera and measles, and a catastrophic increase in malaria cases among people made vulnerable in the midst of this crisis.

“The camp is saturated, you can see a few families sharing the same tent, and the ground is covered in mud,” says Zakari Moluh, MSF project coordinator describing the situation in the Ndava site in Cibitoke, northwest of Burundi. “We see people holding two-litre water bottles and this is all they have to cover their water needs; food is almost unavailable. We fear a worsening of the health and humanitarian situation.”

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https://www.msf.org/congolese-refugees-burundi-dire-need-support

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Democratic Republic of Congo: Save the Children, thousands of families fleeing conflict in Burundi without food or shelter, and children without an education.

published on
December 29, 2025

Since 6 December, more than 84,000 people from South Kivu have crossed the border into Burundi to escape fighting and bombing, bringing the total number of Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in the country to more than 200,000 [1] .

Many families faced a perilous journey on foot, lasting three or four days, sleeping in the open and crossing swollen rivers, before arriving exhausted and dehydrated at overcrowded transit centers, which offer temporary shelter before being transferred to more permanent facilities.

The severe shortage of food, drinking water, sanitation, housing, and healthcare in transit centers exposes children to the risk of outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases such as cholera. Boys and girls have also been forced to drop out of school. On December 17, the Government of Burundi declared a state of emergency.

Rosine*, a mother of seven, fled with her husband, children, and younger sister. She says she was caught in the bombings in her village. “The bombs started falling on our village. They killed many people. My neighbor's house was hit, and many people died in the explosion. We counted 30 victims.” When the violence escalated, Rosine's family fled in panic, leaving behind their business, their belongings, and her injured mother. “We left my mother in Congo. She had an accident shortly before the conflict and couldn't run. We don't know if she's alive or dead.” But the journey to safety was perilous. To reach Burundi, the family had to cross a swollen river. “The water reached my chest. If it hadn't been for my husband, we wouldn't have made it. One of my little girls was swept away by the current, but fortunately my husband and other men managed to save her.”

Now, in the transit center, Rosine* says hunger is their daily challenge. “My children only eat once a day. Sometimes they don't eat at all because we don't have water to cook with. The tent is small, it floods when it rains, and the children sleep on the floor. We're suffering a lot.” Save the Children emphasizes that women and children are the hardest hit, arriving exhausted and severely traumatized. As Rosine* explains, her children are still terrified by the sound of explosions. “The sound of gunshots and bombs terrified them. Even today, when something falls, they get scared and think the bombing has started again.”

Children in transit centers say they've had to interrupt their studies. Tina*, 9, who fled with her mother Lucia* and four siblings, dreams of returning to school: "I went to school, I was in third grade. I love studying. When the shooting started, I was so scared. I didn't take my books when we escaped. I want to continue studying and become a doctor.
There's no food here and it's too cold. The last time I ate was yesterday."

His mother, Lucia*, who walked for three days with her children to reach Burundi, fears for their livelihood. "We slept along the road, in the rain, with nothing to cover ourselves with. My children are getting sick from the cold, the rain, and because they don't eat enough."

“Children fleeing the conflict in the DRC are paying the highest price of the violence. They arrive in Burundi traumatized, hungry, and exhausted. Many have witnessed the killings, lost family members, and dropped out of school overnight. Now families urgently need food, clean water, safe shelter, healthcare, and child-friendly spaces to help their youngest children overcome the trauma of their experiences. Without immediate additional funding, we risk being unable to help the boys and girls who have already lost so much. The international community must act now to protect them as they flee the conflict and ensure they are not forgotten,” said Geoffrey Kirenga, Chief of Mission in Burundi for Save the Children, the international organization that for over 100 years has fought to save girls and boys at risk and guarantee them a future.

Save the Children, along with other humanitarian organizations, is providing support to families. The agency is distributing hygiene and personal care items, including kitenges (cloth sheets that can be used for clothes or sheets), underwear, soap, and feminine hygiene kits for girls, pregnant women, mothers with young children, and elderly women. Unfortunately, needs far exceed available resources. The Government of Burundi has launched an appeal with the UN and partners to raise over $33 million to provide humanitarian aid to 90,000 new arrivals over the past four months, but only 10% of this amount has been raised so far.

Save the Children is calling on the international community and donors to urgently increase funding to meet the essential needs of children and families displaced by the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.

Save the Children has been working in Burundi since 2016, providing child protection services, prevention and response to gender-based violence, health, child rights governance, and education. Our team in Burundi supports thousands of displaced children and their families.


*Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
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https://www.savethechildren.it/press/repubblica-democratica-del-congo-save-children-dal-conflitto-migliaia-di-famiglie-fuga

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DRC: 14 health facilities closed after two deadly ADF attacks in Mambasa

ACTUALITE.CD
Health
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - 11:06

At least 14 health facilities abruptly suspended operations in Mambasa, Ituri province, following the double attack by Islamist militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) between March 11 and 16, 2026, in Muchacha and Babesua. The chief medical officer of the Nia-Nia health zone, Dr. Joseph Pemanakue, warned on Tuesday of a health crisis affecting the Badengaido and Bafwakoa health areas.

In Mabovu, Penge, and Muchacha, no health facilities are currently functioning. Healthcare workers and their patients fled to Badengaido during the initial attack in Muchacha. The attack a few days later in Babesua village worsened the situation. The health facilities in Badengaido also closed, and staff sought refuge in Nia-Nia.

“In Badengaido, some staff were able to resist, but after the attack on Babesua, the facilities closed, even the Badengaido health center. One assistant had stayed there to provide urgent care at the health center, but all the others fled. Even the Bafwakoa health area, which is next door, was also emptied, as was the Babeke health post,” Dr. Pemanakue explained to ACTUALITE.CD.

In Nia-Nia, the number of patients is exploding. The health center has registered more than 90 new patients. "When the population moved, there were many accidents. When people move, disease always moves with them. That's why, at our health facilities here in Nia-Nia, there has been an influx of patients who don't even have the means to pay for treatment," said the chief medical officer of the area.

According to him, cases of accidents, malaria, typhoid fever, waterborne diseases, and cesarean deliveries have increased in the last ten days. The chief medical officer for the area also indicates that some patients are sleeping outdoors.

The doctor also mentioned talks with MSF based in Kisangani. "They need security assurances so they can come and assess the situation before their intervention," he said, adding that he had already identified priority needs, including medication.

The attacks by Muchacha and Babesua left more than 30 people dead in Mambasa. Others remain missing to this day.

Gaston Mukendi, in Kisangani

https://actualite.cd/index.php/2026/03/25/rdc-14-structures-sanitaires-fermees-apres-deux-attaques-meurtrieres-des-adf-mambasa

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Ituri: 32 bodies discovered after attacks attributed to the ADF in Mambasa

May 24, 2026

At least 32 bodies of civilians killed were discovered in the space of two days in the territory of Mambasa, in Ituri province, after recent attacks attributed to ADF rebels, according to the human rights NGO PROTECTION PLUS.

In a statement published this Sunday, May 24, the organization said it was deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the Walese-Karo and Babila Babombi chiefdoms, where several villages have recently been the target of deadly incursions.

According to this local NGO, seventeen bodies were found on May 23 in a field in the village of Kidini, Mongalyema cell, in the Andifele group. Among the victims were reportedly eight Pygmies and the cell leader, Kamate Ekiya Paluku.

According to information gathered by the organization, these people are believed to be among the civilians abducted during the latest attacks carried out by the ADF in the localities of Darsalam, Muchanga and Mutufei.

The day before, on May 22, fifteen other bodies had already been discovered and buried in the vicinity of the village of Alima. Ten bodies were found in Kaseli, in a field belonging to a local businessman, while five other bodies were discovered in the field of Kasai.

The NGO PROTECTION PLUS specifies that this death toll remains provisional, as several areas are still inaccessible due to ongoing insecurity. According to the organization, more bodies could still be found in the coming days.

Faced with this situation, the organization denounces barbaric and repeated massacres against civilian populations and believes that the inhabitants of Mambasa now live in permanent fear, forced displacement and daily mourning.

“Faced with this unbearable human tragedy, we condemn in the strongest possible terms these barbaric and repeated massacres against innocent populations. We believe that the population of the Mambasa territory, in Ituri, is now abandoned to its sad fate while living in constant fear, forced displacement and daily mourning,” laments Master John Vuleveryo, coordinator of the organization.

He calls on the Congolese authorities to urgently strengthen security measures in the Mambasa territory and to intensify military operations against armed groups active in this part of Ituri.

The organization is also calling for humanitarian assistance for affected families and the organization of dignified and safe burials for the victims.

As a reminder, the territory of Mambasa regularly faces attacks from the rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State organization and accused of numerous massacres of civilians in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.

Samy Kitha Hangi

https://lepotentiel.cd/2026/05/24/ituri-decouverte-de-32-corps-apres-des-attaques-attribuees-aux-adf-a-mambasa/

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/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walikale_Territory
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Walikale: In Kibua, the humanitarian crisis is worsening amid cholera, the threat of Ebola, and a massive influx of displaced people.

30.05.2026
Health / Society

The health situation is deteriorating in the Kibua health zone, in the Walikale territory of North Kivu. More than twenty people have died there in the last three months.

In response to this deteriorating situation, the organization Terres, Environnement pour le Développement Endogène (TEDE-DRC) is launching an urgent appeal to authorities and humanitarian partners. It is calling for strengthened interventions in this region, which has been severely affected by population displacement.

The alert was raised by André Ushindi Nkango, head of the TEDE-DRC base in Walikale. He denounced a critical health situation in the town of Ntoto and its surroundings. According to him, the lack of adequate resources for awareness and prevention is exacerbating the risk of epidemics within displaced communities.

The Kibua health zone is one of the four health zones in the Walikale territory, along with Walikale, Pinga, and Itebero. It is currently experiencing unprecedented humanitarian pressure. The localities of Ntoto Centre, Kilungu-Buoye, and Langira are hosting more than 30,000 displaced households fleeing violence and insecurity in various parts of the territory.

Living conditions in these areas remain extremely precarious. Lack of access to clean water, sanitation infrastructure, and healthcare services contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases. Several cases of cholera continue to be reported.

“The situation remains very critical,” warns André Ushindi Nkango. He emphasizes that community liaisons and local awareness teams are working with limited resources to inform the population about preventive measures.

Beyond cholera, another threat is worrying local stakeholders: the risk of the spread of the Ebola virus disease, Bundibugyo strain. According to TEDE-DRC, a large proportion of displaced people are still unaware of the modes of transmission and preventative measures related to this epidemic, due to a lack of sufficient information campaigns in remote areas.

The organization believes that this lack of information could promote the simultaneous spread of both diseases in communities already weakened by displacement and difficult living conditions.

While welcoming the efforts made by the World Health Organization, WHO, and by other health actors engaged in the fight against epidemics in the DRC, TEDE-DRC calls for special attention to be paid to populations living in the isolated areas of the Walikale territory.

The organization is advocating for increased awareness-raising activities, the distribution of hygiene kits, improved access to drinking water and the establishment of appropriate health facilities to meet the growing needs of displaced people.

For community actors, rapid intervention remains essential to avoid an escalation of the health and humanitarian crisis that currently threatens thousands of families in the Kibua health zone.

Denise Kyalwahi
Opinion Info / MCP, via mediacongo.net

https://www.mediacongo.net/article-actualite-164166_walikale_a_kibua_la_crise_humanitaire_s_aggrave_entre_cholera_menace_d_ebola_et_afflux_massif_de_deplaces.html