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UN warns of escalating violence and large displacements in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Summary
A United Nations spokesperson said recent clashes in Uvira, Masisi and Ituri have produced mass displacement, destroyed infrastructure and rising reports of grave violations against civilians, including children.
A United Nations spokesperson said the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has worsened in recent days, forcing large numbers of people from their homes and placing humanitarian workers at extreme risk.
The spokesperson told reporters that clashes in the town of Uvira, about 100 kilometers south of the South Kivu provincial capital Bukavu, have caused multiple incidents of looting and extreme violence and put local communities and humanitarian staff in danger. The spokesperson said humanitarian assessments show more than 10,000 people returned from Ijiwi Island in Lake Kivu to villages around Minova and Kalehe after dire conditions on the island, while more than 100,000 people reportedly fled to the island since late January.
The return of people to parts of North Kivu, including the Masisi territory northwest of Goma, has exposed families to destroyed infrastructure and urgent needs for assistance, the spokesperson said. In Ituri province, humanitarian partners reported attacks in the territory of Jugu that killed eight civilians and abducted two people; those attacks have forced at least 17,000 people to flee and prompted suspension of assistance to roughly 45,000 people in the area, the spokesperson said.
United Nations agencies also flagged a sharp rise in grave violations against children. The spokesperson cited UNICEF data showing that incidents against children have tripled since January, with sexual violence rising by more than 2.5 times, abductions increasing sixfold, killing and maiming up sevenfold, and attacks on schools and hospitals rising about 12 times.
The spokesperson said the UN is monitoring the situation closely, assessing humanitarian access and needs, and that peacekeeping and humanitarian partners are responding where security conditions permit. No new formal Security Council decision was announced at the briefing.
The UN spokesperson emphasized the immediate needs for protection and humanitarian aid for returnees and displaced families, while urging parties and those with influence to reduce hostilities so assistance can reach affected communities.
