Democratic Republic of the Congo Crisis Response Plan 2024 – Democratic Republic of the Congo

IOM Vision

In 2024, IOM seeks to respond to the critical needs of conflict and disaster-affected populations, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities, through the provision of multisectoral humanitarian assistance. In line with a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, IOM also aims to address the drivers of forced displacement by creating the necessary conditions for socioeconomic development and peaceful coexistence through a holistic and multifaceted response at the local, provincial, and national levels. Furthermore, IOM will continue to support the Government in strengthening the public health system as well as preparedness and response to other public health concerns, including outbreaks, by taking into account the population mobility dimension.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to face one of the most complex and multifaceted crises in the world. The security, political, and humanitarian situation in the eastern part of the country continues to deteriorate, with an increase in fighting between the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group and the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and their allies (such as Volunteers for Defense of the Homeland (Wazalendo) in the North Kivu province. The persistent activities of several other armed groups, such as the Coopérative pour le développement du Congo (CODECO), the Front Patriotique et Intégrationniste du Congo (FPIC), and Zaire in Ituri province; the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Ituri and North Kivu provinces; and the Mai-Mai local militias in the four eastern provinces (Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika); as well as inter-community conflicts in the Tanganyika, Mai-Ndombe, and Kwilu provinces (coupled with the activity of the Mobondo militias which started in the Kwamouth territory in 2022, before expanding to Kwango and Central Kongo) continue to affect the lives of civilians, posing significant protection risks, notably for the most vulnerable groups.

These conflicts have led to massive displacements of populations, with 6.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the DRC, including 5.6 million in the most affected provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika (as of October 2023), making the DRC a country with one of the highest numbers of IDPs in the world. Certain groups are further exposed to heightened risks induced by displacements, including women and girls who face risks of gender-based violence (GBV), marginalization and social exclusion. The needs of affected communities include functioning site management services, shelter, non-food items, food, water, and sanitation services, protection support, health (including mental health and psychosocial support and sexual and reproductive health), and education services. Furthermore, the large number of IDPs increases the burden on already fragile and weak social basic systems in host communities, increasing the need for support to education, health systems and social protection as well as mitigating the impact on the environment. Support to ensure social cohesion between IDPs and host communities is also needed. In addition, regular data on population movement is necessary to enable a collective evidence-based and efficient crisis response. In June 2023, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) declared a 6-month humanitarian system-wide scale-up, and in parallel, IOM declared a corporate L3 scale-up for six months, that was further extended for three more months. Furthermore, demographic pressures, agricultural practices and climate change have accentuated the transhumance movements of nomadic herders towards new areas of the DRC in search of pasture, creating conflicts with local communities over the use of natural resources.

A new governmental Disarmament, Demobilization, Community Reintegration, and Stabilization Programme (P-DDRCS) strategy was adopted in 2022, which covers five pillars: strengthening social cohesion and democratic dialogue, the restoration of state authority, community rehabilitation and reintegration, socioeconomic development, and public information/communication. Increased efforts are needed to ensure its implementation, including the reintegration of ex-combatants, while also addressing the root causes and drivers of conflicts by embedding stabilization, governance, and socioeconomic development approaches. To date, P-DDRCS teams are deployed in the eastern DRC provinces, Provincial Operational Plans (POP) have been developed for the implementation of the programme at the local and provincial levels, and IOM is piloting P-DDRCS initiatives in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.

General elections for the presidency, national assembly and provincial assemblies were held in December 2023, with some results still being expected in early 2024, while President Tshisekedi was re-elected. On December 19, the Security Council adopted Resolution S/RES/2717(2023) on the United Nations Stabilization Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), which extends its mandate for one year while also laying out a comprehensive disengagement plan that includes three distinct and successive phases and gradual handover of responsibility to the Government.

The DRC also faces a high risk of natural hazards, including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods (with 15 provinces severely affected in January 2024 by the rising of the Congo River and its tributaries), droughts and disease epidemics. Vulnerability to these hazards is exacerbated by poverty and political insecurity. The country experiences extreme weather and climate variability, resulting in a high exposure to disasters including floods and droughts, which are projected to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. The most common natural hazards are erosion (47%), flooding (16%) and heavy rains (14%), which can cause waterlogging of agricultural fields, likely leading to poor harvests (CADRI mission report, 2023).