WFP warns hospitals overwhelmed in DR Congo, food out s Goma faces ‘devastation’

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS –UN agencies and its partners on Thursday warned the humanitarian situation in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached alarming levels with humanitarian needs now massive and response capacities severely strained.

World Food agency warned that food supplies are running dangerously low, as water and electricity outages exacerbate the crisis.

The seizure and closure of Goma’s airport by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has interfered with aid delivery, as the blocking of roads and lake transport restrictions have left thousands stranded.

The rebel group has taken control of most of Goma since entering the city in the biggest escalation of a decades-long conflict springing from the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis, and a continuing struggle for control of rich mineral resources in the region among a plethora of armed groups.

UN reported that families attempting to flee the violence across Lake Kivu are resorting to unsafe makeshift boats, putting their lives at risk.

UN aid coordination office reports that humanitarian workers have been unable to leave their shelters in Goma for over 24 hours due to the insecurity, severely affecting emergency response efforts.

Tom Fletcher, the emergency relief chief, has allocated $17 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Relief Fund to support lifesaving assistance yet access to those in need remains uncertain.

Medical facilities in Goma and second city Bukavu to the south are overwhelmed, with over 2,000 injuries reported since the beginning of January, including many from gunshot wounds. Hospitals lack adequate medical supplies, fuel and staff to manage the growing influx of patients.

WHO, International Committee of the Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières are working to boost  the healthcare services, but with supply chains disrupted and facilities at capacity, response efforts are severely strained.

The health authorities warn of an increasing risk of disease outbreaks, including cholera, measles and mpox, due to mass displacement, unsafe water sources and inadequate sanitation.

According to Radio Okapi, the station run by UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, MONUSCO said that in the village of Kiziba, on the outskirts of Goma, civilians are reporting armed men in military uniforms carrying out widespread looting, extortion and sexual violence.

UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric reported that other armed groups in the east, including Zaïre and the CODECO militias, have increased attacks against the population in Djugu territory in the past month, robbing civilians.

He noted at least 6 people have been killed since last weekend and as a result, many have stopped using roads in the area, which also prevents them from going to their fields or to markets.

The reports indicated that some roads have reopened, but mass displacement continues, with at least 700,000 people now internally displaced within North Kivu and South Kivu.

Mr. Dujarric said that peacekeepers with MONUSCO have launched the second phase of an operation called Horizon of Peace in Djugu territory, to contain an escalation of violence by armed groups.

MONUSCO peacekeepers have stepped up patrols on several roads in the territory to support the free movement of people and goods.

Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for DR Congo has issued a strong plea for immediate international support.

“I call on the international community to step up its support in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis,” he stated.

WFP has reiterated its readiness to resume food distributions as soon as security conditions permit, but without immediate access, thousands remain at risk of starvation and disease.