While the hotspot of the conflict between M23 and Congolese armed forces (FARDC) and their respective allies has been North Kivu, neighbouring South Kivu province has also long been receiving displaced people and touched by the violence. Since late January, M23 has been progressively making quick advances in South Kivu, capturing the strategic towns such as Minova, Kalehe and Kavumu. Over the weekend (14-16 February) they entered in the provincial capital, Bukavu, one of the most populated cities in eastern DRC, as FARDC troops and allied forces reportedly withdrew from the town. Major armed clashes haven’t taken place in Bukavu, but there has been widespread looting and shootings amid the chaos. The city has been quite empty, with hardly any traffic, and very few people walking in the streets, as many residents opted to stay at home and others left the town. The situation is still volatile. MSF has now started support to four hospitals in the city to deal with big influxes of injured, and to reinforce capacity for treating victims and survivors of sexual violence. MSF teams are closely assessing the situation and exploring ways to scale up our emergency efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of people in areas around Minova, Bukavu, and Uvira.