Record 6.9 Million Internally Displaced in the DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing a dire situation, as the number of internally displaced people has reached an unprecedented 6.9 million, according to a statement from the UN migration agency (IOM). This staggering figure reflects the intensifying conflict in the region, resulting in soaring humanitarian needs.

IOM underscores that the DRC is grappling with one of the most extensive internal displacement and humanitarian crises globally, marked by a recent surge in conflict that has uprooted an unusually large number of people in a relatively short span.

An alarming statistic reveals that four out of every five internally displaced individuals are concentrated in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Tanganyika. In North Kivu alone, nearly one million people have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict involving the rebel group M23.

UN migration agency teams have been actively engaged in the management of 78 displacement sites, providing shelter and assistance to over 280,000 displaced individuals. Their support includes essential supplies, access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene services, and vital psychosocial support.

Despite these efforts, the agency aims to extend its support to an additional 50,000 people in the next three months. However, the operations in the DRC remain significantly underfunded, with a funding gap exceeding 50 percent. This shortfall poses a considerable challenge to addressing the pressing humanitarian needs of those affected by the conflict in the region.

_{Source: IOM, UN}