DAKAR, Senegal — The streets are littered with bodies as medical personnel in overwhelmed hospitals tend to countless injured civilians amidst a cacophony of gunfire and explosions. Access to electricity, water, and the internet has been severed, while warehouses containing medical supplies and food are being raided.
As tension mounts, uncertainty remains regarding the extent of rebel control in Goma, where fighters entered eastern Congo’s vital city early Monday, eliciting both fear and cheers from residents. More than 2 million people live in Goma, a significant number of whom are already displaced due to ongoing violence, prompting the U.N. and relief agencies to issue grave warnings about impending humanitarian disasters.
Greg Ramm, the country director for Save The Children in Congo, described the situation as “confusing, complex, and horrific.” He elaborated that there are no safe havens, as fleeing families repeatedly adapt to shifting front lines, often forced to move again from one dangerous location to another.
Reports of sexual violence and other crimes have emerged, with the U.N. highlighting the urgent need for intervention. The M23 rebel group is one of approximately 100 armed factions vying for power in eastern Congo, which has been embroiled in one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts, displacing around 4.5 million individuals and creating what the U.N. termed “one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.”
In recent weeks, the M23’s advancements have intensified, leading to additional mass displacements as families flee their homes and seek refuge in overcrowded camps. Approximately 300,000 individuals on the outskirts of Goma fled into the city when front lines shifted over the weekend, only to find themselves trapped once more as violence engulfed their new surroundings.
Aid organizations reported being unable to deliver critical support due to ongoing clashes, with roads blocked and the airport closed. David Munkley, from World Vision, stated that operations had been halted due to armed confrontations that compromised supply lines and access to vulnerable populations in Goma and surrounding areas.
Medical facilities in the region are overwhelmed, operating at twice their capacity. The main hospital in Goma, overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross, has had to set up tents in its courtyard to accommodate the influx of victims injured by bullets and heavy artillery. Myriam Favier, head of the ICRC sub-delegation in Goma, shared that patients are being brought in on motorbikes or buses, while the three surgical teams are working tirelessly even as some patients find themselves lying on the floor due to lack of space.
Emergency workers and healthcare staff are facing threats themselves, with a recent incident involving looting at an ICRC medical warehouse and ambulances being targeted. Meanwhile, Save the Children experienced an explosion at their office in Goma.
Concerns over food scarcity are rising, with World Food Program spokesperson Shelley Thakral warning of increasing food prices as relief efforts stall and access to the airport and essential roads remains limited. The WFP warehouse in Goma has also been a victim of looting.
Goma serves as a critical trade and humanitarian node, home to many of the over 6 million displaced people from the protracted conflict in eastern Congo, which has been fueled by deep-seated ethnic tensions. Maina Kingori, the director for CARE International in Congo, observed large numbers of residents fleeing with their belongings, revealing the profound fear and mental distress gripping the community.
Many civilians, desperate to escape the chaos, have crossed into Rwanda in search of safety, with more than 1,000 Congolese individuals registered since Monday. Among those seeking refuge in Gisenyi, just across the border, was Congolese teacher Christian Bahati, who expressed a deep desire for the conflict to cease, lamenting that the people of Congo are victims now forced to flee from their aggressors.
