Almost 80,000 people have fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) due to fighting, sexual violence, and insecurity, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The exodus is showing no signs of stopping.
The North and South Kivu provinces remain unstable, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced. Close to 80,000 have entered neighboring countries, with 61,000 arriving in Burundi since January. In the past two weeks alone, 895 cases of rape were reported, averaging over 60 a day.
Civilians face numerous risks, including explosive remnants of war and abductions by armed men. Humanitarian access is being impeded due to fighting, with some aid operations paused but resuming in affected areas. The UN World Food Programme aims to reach over 210,000 people with emergency food assistance.
M23 rebels have forced evictions, leaving only around 17,000 people in IDP sites, while an estimated 414,000 neighbors have been displaced for four weeks. The UNHCR warns that many more may need to cross borders to find safety.
The agency recommends “informed decision-making” for any voluntary returns to conflict-affected areas. A recent waiver from the US humanitarian funding freeze allows the UNHCR to continue supporting emergency operations in the DRC, which have long been underfunded.
Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1160746