More than 200 health facilities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are facing severe medicine shortages, as conflict intensifies and international humanitarian funding collapses, a new report by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has revealed.
The assessment paints a dire picture of the health crisis unfolding in North and South Kivu—two provinces devastated by armed conflict and displacement. According to the ICRC, 80% of clinics in these areas are now operating without any external support, many of them lacking even the most basic treatments for diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.
“This is not just a medical emergency—it’s a human catastrophe,” warned François Moreillon, ICRC’s head of delegation in the region. “Health workers are fleeing. Patients are dying. And thousands of lives hang in the balance.”
The collapse of health services comes amid escalating violence linked to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, whose resurgence has plunged eastern Congo into renewed instability. Ongoing clashes have made it virtually impossible to deliver medical supplies across frontlines, even when stockpiles exist elsewhere in the country.
More than 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict this year, and at least 7 million people are now displaced—the highest number ever recorded in the DRC. The mass displacement has placed further strain on already overstretched health centres, many of which are functioning with skeleton staff and no essential drugs.
Adding to the crisis is the dramatic reduction in humanitarian aid. Funding shortfalls have left aid organisations scrambling to maintain basic services, forcing some to withdraw entirely from high-risk areas.
The ICRC’s findings underscore the urgent need for renewed international attention and action. Without immediate intervention, the health system in eastern Congo risks total collapse.
“This crisis is worsening by the day,” Moreillon said. “We are urging the international community to step up—not just with words, but with meaningful support that can help restore access to lifesaving care.”
Despite the staggering scale of the crisis, eastern Congo remains largely absent from global headlines. Aid workers warn that without media coverage and diplomatic pressure, the region’s humanitarian emergency could continue to spiral in silence.
For now, clinics remain open in name only—many without staff, equipment, or medicine. And for millions of Congolese trapped in the crossfire, the cost of global inaction could be measured in countless lives lost.
Main Image: AP News
