In the heart of eastern Congo, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding with a severity that has alarmed even the most seasoned aid workers. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), more than 80 percent of health facilities in the conflict-ravaged provinces of North and South Kivu have run out of essential medicines, leaving thousands at risk as the region grapples with ongoing violence, funding shortfalls, and a rapidly deteriorating healthcare system.
The ICRC’s warning, issued on October 8, 2025, follows a comprehensive survey conducted last month across 240 health centers and clinics in the Kivu provinces. The assessment, the largest of its kind since the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched a lightning offensive earlier this year, paints a grim picture of medical collapse. Nearly nine out of ten surveyed facilities reported being completely out of medicines, while staff shortages afflict 40 percent of the centers. Thirteen percent of the facilities are now entirely nonfunctional.
“The lives of thousands of people are at stake,” stated François Moreillon, head of the ICRC delegation in Congo, during a press conference. He emphasized that the shortage of essential medicines—especially those needed to treat malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, and other common diseases—has reached a critical point. “Currently, more than 80 per cent of health facilities in the Kivu provinces receive no support from humanitarian partners and are only operational thanks to the remarkable commitment of their staff on both sides of the front lines.”
The crisis isn’t new, but it has worsened dramatically since January, when the M23 rebels seized Goma, the largest city in the region. Their advance, which also saw the capture of Bukavu, further destabilized an area already battered by decades of conflict involving more than 100 armed groups. The violence this year alone has claimed around 3,000 lives and displaced an estimated 7 million people, according to the Associated Press.
Access to healthcare has become a near-impossible challenge for many. The ICRC’s report details how fighting, looting, and the destruction of infrastructure have disrupted medicine deliveries. In some cases, even when medicines are available elsewhere, the dangers of crossing front lines prevent them from reaching the clinics that need them most. The organization also highlighted how many humanitarian groups have been forced to scale back or shut down operations due to dwindling funding, further compounding the crisis.
For the people of eastern Congo, the consequences are devastating. Residents like Amani Habimana, from Ruke town in Masisi territory, have been caught in the crossfire—literally. After being shot in the thigh during a skirmish between M23 combatants and a local militia, Amani’s family spent nearly two months searching for a hospital that could treat her wound. Each facility they visited lacked the necessary supplies to care for her broken femur. She only received proper medical attention after finally reaching Beni, a city far from home. “We are losing many limbs due to the distance and the delay in accessing care,” said Samson Muhindo Kalumbi, an ICRC worker at Beni’s general hospital, as reported by StratNews Global.
The ICRC’s survey also revealed that consistent shortages have plagued the region’s clinics since the start of the year. Many facilities have not received a regular supply of medicines since January, when the rebel offensive began in earnest. The lack of safe passage for health workers has led to a mass exodus of staff from the most dangerous areas, leaving nearly half of the clinics with critical staffing shortages. The facilities that remain open do so only through the extraordinary dedication of the local staff, often working under threat and without pay.
Political tensions further complicate the situation. While Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the M23 rebels, a United Nations panel of experts reported in July that Kigali exercises command and control over the group. The Congolese government, for its part, has struggled to regain control of the embattled provinces, even as international peace efforts have managed to reduce the overall intensity of fighting in recent months. Still, sporadic clashes and civilian casualties persist, making the delivery of humanitarian aid a perilous endeavor.
The healthcare crisis is not just a matter of logistics or funding—it is a race against time. Diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis are rampant in the region, and without medicines, preventable deaths are on the rise. The ICRC has called on all parties to the conflict to guarantee the safe passage of health workers and supplies, stressing that only through coordinated action can the worst outcomes be averted.
Humanitarian organizations, meanwhile, are sounding the alarm about the broader implications of the crisis. With nearly 90 percent of clinics out of medicine, the risk of epidemics looms large. The collapse of the healthcare system threatens to unravel years of progress made in controlling infectious diseases. And as funding continues to dry up, the ability of aid groups to respond is shrinking just when their presence is needed most.
The story of eastern Congo’s healthcare crisis is, at its core, a story of resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity. Health workers who remain on the job do so at great personal risk, driven by a sense of duty to their communities. Patients and families endure long, dangerous journeys in search of care, often arriving too late. And yet, amid the chaos, there are still glimmers of hope—moments when a patient is saved, a shipment of medicine gets through, or a clinic manages to keep its doors open for another day.
As the international community watches, the question remains: will help arrive in time to prevent further tragedy, or will eastern Congo’s healthcare system collapse entirely under the weight of conflict and neglect? For now, the people of North and South Kivu wait, hoping for relief, and relying on the courage of those who refuse to give up—even when the odds seem insurmountable.
The coming weeks and months will be critical. Without urgent action and renewed commitment from both local authorities and the global community, the healthcare crisis in eastern Congo could spiral even further out of control, with consequences that will be felt for generations to come.