DRC: MSF adapts response as violence spreads in South Kivu

In recent weeks, the conflict between M23/AFC and the Congolese army, and their respective allies, has intensified in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is closely assessing the situation and exploring ways to scale up our emergency response in areas in and around Minova, Bukavu, and Uvira.

In the north of South Kivu province, MSF continues to provide support to various departments in Minova General Referral Hospital, three other health centers in Minova health zone, and Numbi health center. These are areas where there are still thousands of displaced people.

Marcus Bachmann, MSF head of programs for South Kivu province, breaks down the current situation on the ground.

While the hotspot of the conflict has been North Kivu, neighboring South Kivu province has also long been receiving displaced people and has been touched by the violence. In the first three weeks of 2025, with the intensification of the conflict, MSF-supported health structures in northern South Kivu received more than 315 injured patients. 

In late January, M23 took control of Numbi in the highlands of northern South Kivu, and of Minova, by the shores of Lake Kivu. Following the takeover of Goma, North Kivu’s capital, the group continued making quick advances in South Kivu. Last week, they captured the strategic towns of Kalehe and Kavumu.

The city has been quite empty, with hardly any traffic, and very few people walking in the streets, as many residents opted to stay at home and others left town. The situation is still volatile. - Marcus Bachmann, MSF head of programs for South Kivu province

Over the weekend, M23 fighters progressively entered Bukavu, South Kivu’s capital and one of the most populated cities in eastern DRC, as FARDC troops and allied forces reportedly withdrew from the town. Major armed clashes haven’t taken place in Bukavu, but there has been widespread looting and shootings amid the chaos. The city has been quite empty, with hardly any traffic, and very few people walking in the streets, as many residents opted to stay at home and others left town. The situation is still volatile. 

We were not running regular medical activities in Bukavu, but we have offices to coordinate activities in the province. However, we have now started to support four hospitals in the city to deal with big influxes of injured and to reinforce capacity for treating victims and survivors of sexual violence. 

By Monday, February 17, our supported hospitals in Bukavu had already received 48 injured patients with wounds from gunshots and shrapnel, as a result of the violence that has taken place over the last few days. In one of the hospitals, they received 42 of these patients; all the injured were civilians, including 11 people under 18 years of age, and 16 of them were women. 

In the north of South Kivu province, MSF continues to provide support to various departments of Minova General Referral Hospital, three other health centers in Minova health zone, and Numbi health center. These are areas where there are still thousands of displaced people.

In Uvira, further south in South Kivu province, where our teams have been providing care for patients with mpox in recent months, the situation has also become quite concerning. Fighting has been reported on the road from Bukavu to Uvira, and the general hospital there is receiving dozens of injured people, including civilians. 

We are closely assessing the situation and exploring ways to scale up our emergency efforts to respond to the humanitarian needs of people in areas around Minova, Bukavu, and Uvira. 

As thousands of people have been crossing the border from South Kivu into Burundi to seek refuge in the province of Cibitoke, MSF has immediately dispatched a team to assess the urgent needs and provide emergency assistance in cooperation with the Burundian authorities. MSF’s priority is to support access to primary health care through mobile clinics, improve sanitation and access to water, and fight epidemics such as measles and cholera.