Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mass displacement, food insecurity and disease outbreaks in the context of recurrent violence between an array of armed groups are among the many humanitarian challenges facing the DRC.

MSF staff shot and wounded in Goa city
As reported 24 April 2025: In Goma city, North Kivu province, an unspecified number of MSF staff were shot and wounded by an unidentified perpetrator over the past few months. At least one was hospitalised. Source: MSF and MSF II. Return to DRC home page. more
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2023 SHCC Factsheet (EN)

Global Health Map

Datasets on HDX

Social Media Monitoring

Insecurity Insight monitors and examines social media as part of its Social Media Monitoring (SMM) project to identify sentiments that affect the aid sector. Insecurity Insight uses social media to better understand community perceptions.

Social media is increasingly used to question the value of aid. Social media is also frequently used to spread doubt about the intentions of health responders as occurred during the Ebola outbreaks  where such narratives were used to incite violence against responders. Critical narratives are also widespread in the context of the mpox health emergency, where misinformation, conspiracy theories, and accusations of corruption have fueled skepticism toward vaccines.

In a collaboration with Rootwise and the Congo Humanitarian Analysis Team at Mercy Corps, Insecurity Insight combined social media and radio data to provide rapid, corroborated insight derived from local concerns and expressions of need.

SMM Reports

Réseaux Sociaux

Conflict and Hunger

Insecurity Insight monitors conflict events contributing to food insecurity in the DRC as part of its conflict and hunger project. Our in-depth report examines food-related violence in Ituri and North Kivu provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 1 July 2023 and 31 July 2024. The report highlights how systemic violence against farmers, pastoralists, fishers and merchants in eastern DRC has driven millions of people into a state of chronic food insecurity. The persistent use of roadblocks and the looting of food by armed groups suggest that violence targeting food security is a deliberate tactic combining economic and strategic motives. Data covering the same period is accessible for download here.

Additionally, Insecurity Insight has published a shorter more recent briefing documenting food-related violence in North Kivu and Ituri provinces between August 2024 and January 2025 which is accessible here.

Food security and conflict-related sexual violence

Food-related livelihood activities such as tending fields, foraging for food or fetching water can also make women and girls vulnerable to conflict-related sexual violence attacks in conflicts where conflict parties use such violence. This report examines 81 examples of sexual violence committed by conflict parties across Africa, including the DRC, the Middle East and Asia between January 2020 and January 2023 to better understand the complex links between conflict-related sexual violence and food insecurity.

Conflict and hunger reports

Health Care

Insecurity Insight monitors attacks on health care in the DRC. Based on Insecurity Insight data, the DRC chapter of the 2023 Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition report identified at least 115 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in the DRC in 2023, compared to 136 in 2022. At least 41 health workers were kidnapped, while health supplies were looted at least 34 times. Attacks on health care were at their highest during the first four months of 2023, led by increasing incidents attributed to M23 in Rutshuru territory (North Kivu). The full factsheet is available in English and French.

Our data on attacks on health care in the DRC is accessible here and can be explored visually using our interactive map: Attacked and Threatened: Health Care at Risk.

Health Care Reports

Sexual Violence

Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in the DRC is widespread, particularly in rural communities. Perpetrators of sexual violence include unidentified armed groups, various Mai-Mai militia groups, soldiers of the DRC and South Sudanese armed forces.

Our latest report examines 81 examples of sexual violence committed by conflict parties across Africa, including the DRC, the Middle East and Asia between January 2020 and January 2023 to better understand the complex links between conflict-related sexual violence and food insecurity. The report highlights how food-related livelihood activities such as tending fields, foraging for food or fetching water make women and girls vulnerable to conflict-related sexual violence attacks in conflicts where conflict parties use such violence.

Following the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Eastern part of DRC in August 2018, reports of widespread sexual exploitation, harassment and abuse emerged. Insecurity Insight’s analysis report highlights some of the key learnings on reporting sexual violence, exploitation and abuse from the DRC’s 10th Ebola response. We also work with local organisations in the DRC to strengthen reporting and monitoring of incidents of sexual violence.

CRSV Reports

Education

Attacks on schools, teachers and students pose a significant threat to education in the DRC. Reflecting the gravity of the problem, it was reported in May 2023 that over 150 schools in North Kivu province in the east of the DRC had been attacked by armed groups since January with some of these schools rendered inoperable.

Insecurity Insight documents such incidents. Our data is available for download here.