M23 Rebellion In Eastern Congo Displaces Nearly One Million

GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) - MARCH 25, 2024: Kanyaruchinya Internally displaced people camp on the outskirts of Goma. Community workers dig fresh graves for the many people who are dying at the camps from diseases, accidents, and malnutrition. According to the camp secretary, since Jan.1st 1,145 people have died in the camp. March 25, 2024 in Goma DRC. The plot that they gave us (for burial) is almost full. So we are wondering, once that is full, where will be bury our dead. Sometimes we bury them without a coffin or even a body bag. The conflict and violence in the Eastern Democratic republic of Congo led by M23 rebels has displaced nearly one million people since the start of the year, with most arriving to IDP camps in the outskirts of Goma; this has led to food shortages and a conflict-driven hunger crisis. As violence in the eastern provinces surges, it is forcing families to flee again and causing mass displacement while more and more people arrive in already overcrowded camps. At the heart of a deepening hunger crisis lies a catastrophic situation for women and girls, particularly those living in IDP camps. Women and girls face a constant threat of sexual violence, particularly when they go searching for firewood to sell to buy food for their families, resulting in horrifying rates of rape and gender-based violence. (Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images)