Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ituri civilians trapped in a murderous cycle

Chronic conflict and violence have sapped the resilience of communities and impeded their access to essential goods and services.

Most people are afraid that they will be killed if they return to their farms in areas where weapon-bearers are present. The majority of the population are farmers, and their inability to grow food is aggravating shortages. According to the UN, some 1.5 million people in Ituri are suffering food insecurity. Under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the situation corresponds to Phase 3 or worse, with Phase 3 being defined as “crisis”.

Joséphine has been receiving assistance from the ICRC. “Since 2017, I’ve had to move several times, and I’ve lived in four different places. I come from Fataki in Djugu territory, where my family had fields and property. I can’t go back, because the situation there is still unstable, and there’s nothing left.”

People are finding it harder to obtain health care, just when the number of casualties with weapon wounds is increasing because of rising violence. Health facilities in areas affected by attacks and violence are struggling to operate normally and are unable to provide adequate care for the sick and wounded. Facilities have been attacked and looted, and some qualified personnel have fled. Most facilities are experiencing shortages of medical supplies and a lack of equipment. Casualties have to travel long distances to obtain proper treatment.

Those medical facilities that are still operating have been dealing with increasing numbers of weapon-wounded patients, especially during July and August, when a large number of attacks occurred. Médecins Sans Frontières is supporting Salama Clinic in the provincial capital, Bunia. They report having received over 350 patients with weapon wounds since the beginning of the year, with more than 200 arriving between July and October alone.

Alfred Wadie is the deputy head of the ICRC’s Bunia sub-delegation. “The ICRC is supporting a number of medical facilities in the territories of Djugu and Irumu,” he explains. “Our teams have seen a drop in the number of women and children attending those facilities, mainly because the lack of security is making it harder for people to get there.”

Simultaneously, mass arrivals of internally displaced persons are increasing the pressure on water infrastructure and a shortage of resources is creating community tensions. Water is in short supply in areas affected by displacement, in urban areas, in host families and at sites where displaced people are living. This is forcing some families to use untreated water sources, which carry the risk of water-borne disease.