Earlier this year, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have been responding to the needs of the communities in the cities of Kamanyola and Uvira, situated on both sides of the frontline in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By providing essential healthcare to communities, MSF strives to enhance access to medical services in a region plagued by a weakened health system, recurrent epidemics, and shortages of medical supplies.



An already ongoing humanitarian crisis in South Kivu was exacerbated as intense fighting between the armed group M23/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC) and the Congolese army (FARDC), supported by their respective allies, spilled over from the neighbouring province of North Kivu. M23/AFC’s capture of the capital of South Kivu, Bukavu, in February marked a significant expansion of their territorial control, putting pressure on other provinces.

The current frontline at Katogota in South Kivu bisects the strategic road connecting the cities of Bukavu and Uvira, significantly limiting access for the communities and isolating them on either side. Caught in the violence, many people had to flee to the nearby hills or elsewhere, forced to live in precarious conditions without access to drinking water and healthcare facilities.