Four questions about what’s going on in eastern DR Congo | Doctors Without Borders

Meanwhile, the two MSF-supported hospitals and several MSF-supported health centers in Masisi territory have received influxes of war-wounded patients. Over the past two months, MSF teams in the Ministry of Health-run hospital in Mweso have treated around 146 war-wounded people, mostly for gunshot wounds and injuries from explosions. But the main access roads to the north, west, and south of Goma are inaccessible due to the insecurity and fighting, so it is extremely challenging to get supplies to these facilities. This has also severely hindered humanitarian and medical access to hundreds of thousands of people in the Masisi territory.

In parallel, fighting on the border between North and South Kivu has caused tens of thousands of people to flee mainly southward, toward the city of Minova, which was already hosting many displaced people. People are sheltering wherever they can, in schools and dozens of different sites.

Some of the health structures we support in the region have been overwhelmed with an increased number of patients suffering from illnesses related to the deterioration of their living conditions. We are also seeing more cases of sexual violence and war-wounded [people]. The hospital in Minova has received over 167 injured patients since February 2, including several women and children.

In one single day, on March 7, the health staff received 40 injured people, and seven others were dead on arrival. Patients are forced to share beds and staff work around the clock with limited resources as bullets fly very close—the frontline is just five kilometers [about 3 miles] away.