Congolese citizen carrying crosses with the name of the deseased,
Photo: Human Rights Watch
January 31, 2025 Hour: 3:05 pm
Thousands of people fleeing Eastern Congo are facing life-threatening shortages of food and water amid escalating violence, the World Food Program (WFP) has warned.
According to the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Congo, basic services in Goma, a city crucial to more than 6 million displaced people, have largely collapsed due to the ongoing conflict.
The camps for displaced persons on Goma’s outskirts, which once sheltered over 300,000 people, have emptied as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance.
The humanitarian situation has worsened due to the looting of several WFP warehouses, further restricting access to food and essential supplies for civilians.
Critical Shortages and Humanitarian Response Challenges
WFP spokesperson Shelley Thakral expressed deep concern:
“People are really running out of food, clean water, and medical supplies—this is a big concern.”
She also emphasized that the supply chain has been crippled, with roads and air routes blocked, making aid delivery nearly impossible.
“Our priority is to secure staff safety and then resume operations as soon as security allows us to,” she added.
Food shortages and malnutrition worsen in DR Congo's Goma as conflict hampers humanitarian aid. World Food Programme (WFP) urges urgent access to assist displaced and vulnerable populations. pic.twitter.com/pIclg8BfzY
The M23 rebels, backed by an estimated 4,000 Rwandan troops, are stronger than when they first captured Goma in 2012, according to U.N. experts.
They are one of over 100 armed groups fighting for control of Congo’s mineral-rich east, home to vast deposits estimated to be worth $24 trillion, essential to global technology.
This latest wave of violence represents a major escalation in one of Africa’s longest-running wars, pushing the region deeper into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Dire Conditions for Displaced People
The rebel offensive has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, adding to the 1 million displaced people already in Goma.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, receiving hundreds of wounded civilians daily, as innocent people get caught in the crossfire.
With food shortages, medical crises, and worsening violence, the situation in Eastern Congo is spiraling into an unprecedented disaster, leaving millions on the brink of survival.
