Democratic Republic of Congo Protection Analysis Update

In June 2024, the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was recognized as one of the world’s most neglected crises for the year 2023, according to a ranking by NRC. Although the DRC was ranked third this year, the country has consistently been among the highest-ranked for many years. Moreover, conflicts in the East have continued to intensify since early 2024 without a humanitarian response matching the identified needs. Likewise, numerous other conflicts are emerging and becoming entrenched in other regions of the country due to inadequate funding and responses, as well as the concentration of efforts in the East. Political commitment to conflict resolution remains limited.

The impact on affected populations is reflected through numerous internal displacements and other violations and abuses of their rights, as well as the severity of the protection risks they face. The withdrawal of MONUSCO from South Kivu, and soon from North Kivu and Ituri, along with the recent Mpox epidemic, constitute major aggravating factors for the protection and safety of affected populations.

The protection risks requiring immediate attention during the period covered by this analysis are as follows:

1. Gender-based violence
2. Theft, extortion, forced eviction, or destruction of personal property
3. Attacks against civilians and other unlawful killings, and attacks on civilian property
4. Recruitment and use of children in armed groups
5. Kidnapping, abduction, enforced disappearance, arrest, and/or arbitrary or unlawful detention