For over two years, the province of North Kivu has been the scene of armed conflict between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and their allies against the M23 armed group. The conflict has since spread into the neighboring province of South Kivu.
This conflict triggered the displacement of close to 1,5 million people, many of them finding shelter near Goma, the capital city of North Kivu, where most live in makeshift shelters, without adequate access to water and hygiene, and without sufficient food.
They fled to find peace. But their safety is no longer guaranteed. Artillery positions have been set up close to the displaced persons' sites, resulting in crossfire and explosive devices falling in or near the camps, causing widespread damage, death and injury among civilians. The presence of large numbers of armed men exacerbates this situation of insecurity.
While this context further increases people’s insecurity, these events are also disrupting humanitarian activities. On several occasion, MSF teams have had to interrupt their activities. This was recently the case following shelling in the Shabindu IDP site, which hosts almost 100,000 displaced people. MSF condemns these violent acts, which have tragic consequences for the people displaced.