Democratic Republic of Congo: Families flee escalating violence in Bambo region
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for urgent action to protect civilians and meet their basic needs
Thousands of people have sought refuge in Bambo town, in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the resurgence of conflict in mid-May between the M23/AFC armed group, the Congolese armed forces and their respective allies.
The situation is critical; most people have arrived with nothing and are sleeping on the ground without mosquito nets or sufficient access to drinking water, soap or sanitation facilities. MSF is one of the only international medical organizations present in Bambo and calls for urgent action to protect civilians and meet their basic needs.
Bambo is overwhelmed with new arrivals
People displaced by the resumption of clashes say they have come to Bambo as a last refuge. Many report fleeing scenes of extreme violence, burned houses, bombed villages, looting and abuses committed against civilians, including summary executions. Many fear new direct clashes between armed groups in the town.
“We heard bombs being dropped on the village of Kabizo, so we fled. I came to Bambo on foot with my whole family, leaving our belongings behind. We have no shelter here and life is hard. It’s hard to find water. We feel humiliated living like this.”
Person who recently arrived in Bambo
More than 11,050 families have taken refuge with host families, while more than 1,000 families are staying in makeshift shelters, schools or churches turned into informal accommodation sites. Local resources are becoming overwhelmed.
A person who recently arrived in Bambo shared their experience: “On May 17, the armed men gathered village residents and ordered the entire population to leave. The next day, at around 10 a.m., we heard bombs being dropped on the village of Kabizo, so we fled. I came to Bambo on foot with my whole family, leaving our belongings behind. We have no shelter here and life is hard. It’s hard to find water. We feel humiliated living like this.”
MSF teams have distributed household items to more than 1,000 displaced families, set up water and sanitation facilities, built latrines and showers and temporarily reinforced the capacity of Bambo general hospital to improve access to healthcare. However, the health centres are overwhelmed, humanitarian response remains insufficient and MSF cannot cover all the needs.
Bambo hospital under pressure amid immense humanitarian needs
The MSF-supported general referral hospital in Bambo is facing an influx of wounded patients, mainly civilians hit by stray bullets or artillery shrapnel. On May 15, the hospital received 20 injured people, three of whom died, and on May 26, 10 more were treated following clashes in the town.
Medical teams continue to provide intensive care to wounded patients and treat children with severe malnutrition despite disruptions caused by the insecurity.
Fears of outbreaks amid rising malnutrition rates
“With limited local resources, the current situation exacerbates the health risks of everyone,” explained François Calas, MSF’s head of programs in DRC. “Our 19-bed intensive treatment unit for malnourished children with complications has already been 100 per cent occupied for a week. We are going to have to extend the number of beds in this unit to cope with a probable increase in malnutrition.”
Despite a vaccination campaign that immunized nearly 40,000 children in the Bambo area in mid-May, our teams are treating many cases of measles, particularly among new arrivals. The precarious conditions in informal displacement sites are leading to fears of new epidemics, particularly cholera. Our teams are also reporting an increase in the number of consultations for survivors of sexual violence.
