DRC: Escalating conflict forces nearly one million to flee Goma
KINSHASA – Nearly one million people have fled Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), since the beginning of the year due to intense clashes between the military and the M23 rebel group, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
The WFP reported that the security situation in the DRC has worsened significantly since M23 rebels took control of Goma and Bukavu, the respective capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
Since the beginning of 2025, hostilities have displaced nearly 1 million people from Goma, a regional urban center that had a population of around 1 million residents, including over 700,000 displaced individuals.
The ongoing insecurity in the eastern part of the country has also triggered civil unrest, looting, and disruption of humanitarian supply chains, forcing the WFP to temporarily suspend its operations in areas near and around the frontlines.
In mid-February, a humanitarian corridor was established in Goma, enabling the World Health Organization to deliver aid supplies to the region through Kenya and Rwanda, according to Samuel Roger Kamba, the DRC health minister.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned on Friday that the conflict in the DRC could spiral into a broader regional crisis.
At the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the need to avoid a regional escalation at all costs.
“There is no military solution. The deadlock must end, and dialogue must begin.”
