The escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has created a massive humanitarian crisis, and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a medical charity, is calling on the M23, which controls Goma and surrounding areas, to allow the passage of humanitarian aid for thousands of displaced civilians. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which translates to ‘Doctors without Borders’, is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization that assists people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.
Its teams comprise thousands of professionals in health and medical care, logistics, administration, communications, and skilled trades, all bound together by its charter and serving people in need. Medical ethics, impartiality, independence, and neutrality guide its actions; MSF is a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organization. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was founded in 1971 in Paris by journalists and doctors. Today, it is a worldwide movement of over 69,000 people.
Doctors without Borders can be dubbed one of the global giants of giving and one of the top ten largest charitable organizations worldwide. Through its incredible humanitarian efforts, it is transforming many lives worldwide.
Médecins Sans Frontières: Humanitarian aid disruptions leave thousands vulnerable
‘The province of North Kivu has been severely affected by violence over the past three weeks, and Goma is now home to 696,000 internally displaced people (IDPs)’, said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
As of February 2025, the United Nations (UN) report puts the total number of IDPs at 5.6 million, including 480,000 people displaced in Goma in January.MSF calls for voluntary exits and humanitarian aid to be provided where most needed as departures from the camps accelerate.
However, it admits that the fighting in Goma has subsided, with the M23/AFC (Alliance Fleuve Congo) now controlling most of the province, and that many displaced people are on the move. Some camps are speedily emptying, with many people heading for neighboring areas, including their homes.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff have also discovered displaced people heading toward Goma, while some from destroyed camps are heading toward the remaining camps west of Goma. Thierry spoke of how some camps had been primarily emptied in just a few hours the previous week.
“People are leaving with little; we don’t know what conditions they will travel home in or what they will find there. But it is crucial that these movements are voluntary and that the reception conditions in their areas of returns are safe,” admitted Allafort-Duverger, head of MSF’s emergency programs in Goma.
He said his 24 hours with M23 in Goma should be read, and that movement has been attributed to several reasons. Many camp residents mention evacuation orders allegedly given by the M23, while others receive official messages to the contrary.
According to him, others said they were leaving after years of surviving in desperate conditions. Some, however, chose to remain in the camps, unsure of the security situation and what they would find at home; he stated that the messages remained confusing and unclear but that the population was very worried, oscillating between rumours and reality.
Allafort-Duverger shared the extreme vulnerability of families and that humanitarian aid is more than necessary for those who are leaving. For those who are staying, it is unfortunate that they are seeing that several NGOs have been unable to resume their activities or have suspended their services, dismantling their structures in the camps.
He emphasized that the population’s vulnerability and need for assistance are illustrated by the fact that, in the last few days, MSF teams have witnessed some people dismantling humanitarian facilities and removing anything helpful, such as chairs, metal sheets, tarpaulins, and ropes.
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Urgent action call amid a growing crisis
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reiterates the urgent need for humanitarian intervention. With many displaced families fending for themselves in precarious conditions, humanitarian aid must be permitted to operate thoroughly. Many’s futures are uncertain as they move toward their homes, which may no longer exist, and areas lack infrastructure.
Médecins Sans Frontières calls on international organizations, humanitarian agencies, and local authorities to collaborate in providing urgent relief to displaced Congolese families as the situation unfurls. Priority must be on their safety, dignity, and access to essential services to prevent further suffering in a fragile humanitarian crisis.