Hundreds of thousands of displaced people sheltering in camps in and around the city of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, have been severely impacted by extreme violence over the past three weeks.
Many people are now on the move, heading toward neighboring areas as well as to the city of Goma and the remaining camps to its west.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls for their movements to remain voluntary and for urgent humanitarian assistance to be provided wherever it is most needed.
What is happening in North Kivu?Since fighting subsided in Goma, and with M23/AFC (Alliance Fleuve Congo) now in control of parts of the region, camps that have been used to shelter people for the past three years are seeing rapid changes.
“This week, some camps have been largely emptied in just a few hours,” said Thierry Allafort-Duverger, head of MSF's emergency programs in Goma. “People are leaving with what little they have. We don't know in what conditions they will travel home or what they will find there. But it is crucial that these movements are voluntary and that people are safely received in the areas where they are returning.”
