Cholera Epidemic Worsens Amid Turmoil in the DRC

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued a warning about the ongoing violence in North and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is resulting in civilian fatalities, injuries, and displacement.

The continued battle between local armed groups and M23 rebels continues to cause casualties, injuries, and displacement among the local population. Meanwhile, the southern region of Tanganyika is dealing with a quickly spreading cholera outbreak that poses a major threat to thousands.

On Thursday, there were reports of intense battles between local armed groups and M23 rebels in Masisi Centre, North Kivu. As of Wednesday, nine of the province’s eleven health zones had been affected, with over 1,450 confirmed cases and 27 deaths reported since January—a startling six-fold increase from the same period last year.

UN health partners emphasise the critical need for access to safe drinking water, highlighting that less than 20% of affected communities have appropriate coverage, along with insufficient healthcare resources to properly handle the growing number of cases. Men sit outside the general hospital in Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where several victims of mysterious diseases are treated.

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