Thousands of displaced people in eastern Congo are running out of food and water as rebel attacks intensify, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
The worsening crisis has left many struggling to survive, with aid routes cut off and humanitarian operations crippled.
Goma, a key humanitarian hub supporting more than 6 million displaced people, is now largely paralyzed. Many of the camps on the city’s outskirts—once home to over 300,000 people—have emptied as the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels advance.
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Humanitarian groups are struggling to deliver life-saving supplies. WFP warehouses have been looted, further limiting access to food. “People are really running out of food, clean water, and medical supplies, and that’s a big concern,” said WFP spokesperson Shelley Thakral.
“The supply chain has really been strangled at the moment, if you think about land access, air access—everything is closed down,” she added. The priority now, she stressed, is ensuring staff safety before resuming operations “as soon as security allows us to.”
Violence Escalates, Hospitals Overwhelmed
The M23 rebels, backed by an estimated 4,000 Rwandan troops, have intensified their offensive, according to UN experts. This marks a sharp escalation from 2012, when they first seized Goma with a much smaller force.
Civilians are bearing the brunt of the conflict. Hospitals are stretched to their limits, treating hundreds of wounded daily. The ongoing violence has forced hundreds of thousands more to flee, adding to the 1 million already displaced in Goma.
Eastern Congo is home to vast mineral reserves worth an estimated $24 trillion, critical to the global technology industry. More than 100 armed groups are vying for control of the region’s resources, fueling decades of instability.
