United Nations, Feb 27 (NationPress) The humanitarian situation is deteriorating as violence intensifies across three eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to UN humanitarian officials.

The provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri have experienced a recent spike in conflicts, with M23 rebels in the Kivus aiming to seize Kinshasa. In Ituri, the violence is often linked to disputes over land and resources among ethnic groups, as the eastern DRC is abundant in minerals.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday a concerning rise in violence and insecurity in recent days in the city of Uvira, located approximately 100 km south of South Kivu's provincial capital, Bukavu. The clashes have placed local communities and humanitarian workers in severe jeopardy, with reports of multiple incidents of looting and sexual violence.

In South Kivu, OCHA noted that humanitarian assessments conducted over the past 10 days indicated that over 10,000 displaced individuals returned from Idjwi island in Lake Kivu due to unbearable circumstances. These displaced persons returned to villages in the areas of Minova and Kalehe. Since late January, more than 100,000 people had fled to the island.

“Our partners also report that individuals have been returning to regions of North Kivu, where a recent evaluation found that 80,000 people have returned to villages in the Masisi territory, about 80 km northwest of Goma,” OCHA stated. “The infrastructure in these villages has been largely destroyed by recent conflicts, and returnees are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that approximately 1 million individuals have been displaced since the start of 2025, following the M23's takeover of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and the capital of South Kivu, Bukavu.

The insecurity in the eastern regions of the country has also incited civil unrest, looting, and disruptions in humanitarian supply chains, leading the WFP to temporarily halt operations in areas near the frontlines.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed deep concern regarding the alarming rise in reports of severe violations against children in parts of eastern DRC. The number of incidents has tripled since the end of January, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.

UNICEF’s data shows that instances of sexual violence have surged by more than two and a half times, abductions have escalated sixfold, killings and maimings have increased sevenfold, and assaults on schools and hospitals have risen twelvefold.