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Highlights
• Clashes continued in several locations in the Masisi and Rutshuru territories, with civilians reportingly being wounded and fleeing to safer areas. This led to additional displacements, increasing the population in existing IDP sites and generating new IDP sites such as the one of Lushagara near Goma.
• Over 600,000 persons have been displaced since the start of the crisis in March 2022 as per last Population Movement Commission report issued on 31 January. This number is expected to have further increased following the latest clashes.
• The number of suspected measles cases is being increasingly notified, particularly in areas affected by population movements.
• UNICEF, through its partners, continues to provide lifesaving multisectoral assistance to affected children and their families despite the challenging operational conditions.
Situation Overview
During the reporting period, fighting continued in several locations in the Masisi territory. Heavy clashes between M23 and FARDC were reported on 16 February, in and around the city of Kitshanga and on the Kitshanga – Mweso axis.
Civilians in the area are continuously exposed to violence, with reports stating that IDPs (including children) have been injured in the clashes. People continue to flee the violence, but the exact number of displaced is still unknown. Violent clashes between the M23, FARDC, and a coalition of armed groups continued in the southwestern part of Rutshuru territory. Bukombo and Birambizo were taken by M23 on 10 February 2023, and clashes continued in these localities and surrounding areas from 10 – 13 February 2023. This forced more than 7,000 households to flee to Mweso, Katsiro, Nyanzale and Kabizo, on the border between the Rutshuru and Masisi territories. Access remains limited in large parts of these territories due to insecurity.
Clashes have also been ongoing since 13 February 2033 in the southern part of the Masisi territory, on the Sake-Kirolirwe axis, particularly in the Kingi locality, about 15 km north of Sake town. On 19 and 20 February 2023, clashes intensified and M23 took control over the Mushaki locality and temporarily of the Rubaya mining site, 15 km northwest of Sake. The Goma-Sake-Masisi axis istherefore now under M23 control and all road access to Goma has been cut off at the exception of the road towards Kirotche and Minova in South Kivu.
IDPs are displaced in and around Goma town and in the territories of Nyiragongo, Rutshuru,
Masisi, Walikale and Lubero. IDPs are also arriving in Sake, Minova and Kirotshe, implying that the crisis is also starting to affect the South Kivu province.
Following recent clashes, large waves of displaced persons continued to arrive in the Lac Vert (Bulengo) and Rusayo sites, outside Goma.
A new site called Lushagara has emerged opposite to the Lac Vert (Bulengo) site in the outskirt of Goma and hosts approximately 2,550 households. Lac Vert (Bulengo) now hosts more than 12,700 households (approximately 76,000 people), and Rusayo more than 14,800 households (approximately 84,000 persons), although it remains a challenge to verify the numbers. DTM is planning to launch a registration exercise in the Lac Vert and Rusayo sites.
Overall, clashes have spread to four out of six territories in the North Kivu province. Displaced persons are now present in five of these territories and the provincial capital of Goma. In total, between 600,000 and 700,00 persons are estimated to have been displaced since the crisis broke out in March 2022 and the number of displaced persons continue to increase on a weekly basis. No significant additional return movements have been notified during the reporting period. According to the Population Movement Commission report issued on 31 January 2023, 55,000 persons have returned to the Rutshuru territory with most of them (30,000) to Kiwanja.
These IDPs continue to live in highly precarious conditions in host families, collective centers (such as schools and churches) and official IDP sites. In addition, the soil in some parts of the Lac Vert site contains carbon dioxide gas, which causes danger for the displaced persons residing in this site, and several deaths have already been reported due to the gas. The Goma Volcanic Observatory (OVG) conducted an evaluation on 13 - 14 February 2023, to measure the levels of gas and map the risk zones. While it was determined that the western part of the Lac Vert site poses some risk, the center and eastern parts were considered low risk. However, the authorities are willing to relocate progressively these households from this site to minimize the risks of exposure. Part of these IDPs could be relocated to Rusayo II, a new site of 50 hectares which could accommodate up to 5,000 families, i.e., only part of the IDPs from Lac Vert (Bulengo). UNHCR and the CCCM cluster are currently planning the construction of the site. UNICEF, particularly through the WASH cluster, is closely following the ongoing discussions.
The overall number of suspected cholera cases continues to drop, thanks to numerous efforts from several actors.
Nonetheless, suspected cases have increased again during the last two weeks, particularly in the new Rusayo sites.
In addition, a steep increase in suspected measles cases is being notified in multiple provinces of the country, and displaced children are particularly vulnerable;18 out of 35 health zones in North Kivu have reported measles cases between week 1 to 6 in 2023. A total of 4,645 cases and 28 deaths have been reported during this period. Most of these cases were reported in the health zones hosting IDPs. Rusayo site has been reporting suspected measles cases for the last 4 weeks. It is imperative to strengthen the emergency response to limit the spread of measles in the sites. People are living in precarious conditions, which increases the risk of an explosion of cases. Young children, who are often not vaccinated, are the first victims of the measles epidemic in conflict zones.