Over 7,000 displaced families live in the Bulengo site, in the neighborhood known as "Quartier Lac Vert," on the western outskirts of Goma. Most of them fled the armed clashes that occurred in and around Kitchanga in recent weeks. Still traumatized by the displacement and violence, the precarious conditions they find there expose them to increased health risks. Since February 5, 2023, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has set up a health post in Bulengo to provide free medical care to the displaced people who have taken refuge at this site. Every day, the MSF team performs about 125 consultations. Among them, about ten victims of sexual violence are treated daily.

In addition, to reduce the risk of the spread of water-borne diseases, MSF is providing 91 m3 of drinking water per day through seven distribution points and is currently building 200 latrines, 120 of which are already operational. Starting in March, MSF will also pump water from a lake about 1 km from the camp to ensure a daily delivery of 400 m3 of water. The water will be treated on-site before being distributed to the camp's inhabitants.


In Bulengo and Lushagala, two informal sites west of the city of Goma, suspected cases of cholera are increasing. Unfortunately, this health situation is not surprising given the lack of shelters, toilets, and drinking water available on the two sites: an explosive cocktail for the appearance and spread of cholera. In Bulengo, there is one toilet for nearly 500 people, ten times less than what is recommended to meet humanitarian standards; in Lushagala, there are still no sanitary facilities.

On average, every day, around 100 suspected cases of cholera are treated at the cholera treatment center established by MSF, or nearly 1800 cases in two weeks. Besides the medical treatment offered to the displaced people, the distribution of clean water is also intensified, and more toilets are built to break the chain of transmission as quickly as possible.