Eastern DRC civilians have no access to necessities amid escalating conflict, says WFP
The World Food Programme says people also aren’t able to receive medical help as hospitals are overwhelmed.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) observe integration examinations for military specialities at the ‘general Major Chicko Tshitambwe’ military camp in Mambango on the outskirts of Beni, North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on December 14, 2024. Picture: PHILÉMON BARBIER / AFP
JOHANNESBURG - Civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have no access to basic necessities as conflict escalates in the region.
The World Food Programme (WFP) said people also aren’t able to receive medical help as hospitals are overwhelmed.
This followed an invasion of the M23 rebel group in the country.
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Millions of civilians in the DRC have been caught in the middle of the fighting between government forces and the rebel group.
Almost half of the population in Goma has been displaced during the conflict.
Deputy director of WFP Cynthia Jones said during a briefing on Thursday that the disrupted power supply in the region has added to the struggles that hospitals have to manage.
“I heard this week from a mother, from a hospital worker, if you're a mother in Goma today, it's hell. No water, no food, no electricity, and they are scared, and they are traumatised.”
Jones stressed that the limited access to food is a matter that must be addressed.