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UN cites rising attacks on aid workers, cholera outbreaks and high humanitarian needs in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Summary
The UN reported renewed armed clashes, abductions and sexual violence in South Kivu and Katana area, attacks on humanitarian personnel, and accelerating cholera outbreaks in multiple eastern provinces with high case-fatality rates.
United Nations staff were told that reports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo show a sharp deterioration in civilian protection and humanitarian access in several eastern provinces.
Local partners reported that armed actors abducted and raped two women and killed another in Kalehe territory in South Kivu two days earlier; clashes in the Katana area of Kabare territory killed at least two civilians. The UN said roads between Bukavu and Kalehe were temporarily blocked by fighting and were only recently reopened, allowing humanitarian workers to resume operations.
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, briefed the Security Council and stressed that the mission continues to implement its mandate despite challenges. The UN reiterated calls for an unconditional cease-fire and said lasting peace in the eastern DRC requires a political solution and renewed commitment to regional dialogue that includes women’s participation.
UN humanitarian partners reported that since the escalation of conflict in January, at least 11 humanitarian workers have been killed — a higher toll than during all of 2024 in the affected areas. OCHA expressed concern about the accelerating spread of cholera in North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Maniema provinces. The briefing cited a reported case-fatality rate of about 13 percent in Maniema, well above emergency thresholds, and noted shortages of medical supplies, protective equipment and sanitation facilities.
The UN announced a 2 p.m. briefing in the UN staff briefing room on a new integrated food security phase classification (IPC) analysis documenting the highest number ever recorded of people with acute food insecurity in the DRC; Jean-Martin Bauer, director of food security and nutrition analysis at WFP, and a WFP spokesperson in Kinshasa were listed as participating in that briefing.
