The violent conflict between Hema and Lendu communities have marked the early 2000 history of the Ituri province in North-Eastern DRC. It has continued sporadically over the years and flared up one more time in December 2017. Economic interests, as well as control of land and resources underlies the current conflict, which cannot be reduced to an ethnic rethoric. Since December 2017, regular peaks of violence against civilians have forced over one million people to flee their village after they were looted and burned down. As for today, about 200.000 people spontaneously gathered and live on sites that are neither secure nor appropriate to accommodate them. Hundred thousand others are living with host families. The exact number of displaced people is unknown because of the regular movements of population caused by the constant violence.

On the sites, displaced people are living in makeshift shelters, with very limited access to food, water and access to healthcare. Preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and respiratory tract infections are affecting and killing thousands of children. According to recent mortality surveys, mortality rates amongst children under five is above emergency threshold on several sites.