From January till September 2023, more than 800 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have been admitted each month in the hospitals in Mweso and Masisi localities, almost double the figure for the previous year. This alarming situation is paradoxical given that the Masisi territory, just twenty kilometres away from Goma, is renowned for its fertile lands.

Scene of armed conflict for years, this zone has recently undergone a new upsurge of violence, following the resurgence of armed clashes between the M23 movement, other armed groups and the Congolese armed forces, worsening the already critical humanitarian situation and leading to new displacements. The Masisi territory is home of a decennia’s long active and protracted armed conflicts between a myriad of armed groups, creating large-scale population displacements, hindering access to markets, schools, and fields, and impacting critically the health system.

Even though malnutrition is not a new in the territory of Masisi, medical teams have been observing a worrying increase in the number of cases of severe acute malnutrition with complications since the beginning of the year. Between January and September 2023, nearly 7,500 children were treated in the Masisi and Mweso hospitals in Masisi territory, where MSF teams have been supporting those of the Ministry of Health for over fifteen years. To fight malnutrition, teams treat cases of malnutrition in 3 intensive units, including one in the referral health center of Nyabiondo in the Masisi health zone, as well as 9 outpatient units in the Masisi and Mweso health zones. MSF provide nutritional inputs and other necessary medicines and raise awareness on the signs of malnutrition in the communities.