MSF Demands Safety Of Medical Facilities In Eastern DRC

In a statement, the nonprofit known by its French abbreviation MSF, warned of « the rapid deterioration of the security and humanitarian context… and its consequences for civilian populations ».

« Two health care facilities supported by MSF teams in North Kivu have found themselves in the midst of fighting between various armed factions currently active in the province, » the statement said, adding that violence had « endangered the lives of patients and caregivers ».

The charity denounced the use of weapons in, around or against health care settings and said that even in times of conflict, rules of combat must be observed.

It called for « the absolute respect for medical facilities, ambulances, staff and patients, as well as better protection for civilians ».

MSF said its teams supported several health care structures in the region and carried out its work « neutrally and independently for the benefit of the population ».

The M23, which has captured swathes of territory in the eastern DRC since 2021, is one of several militias holding sway over much of the region despite the presence of international peacekeepers.

The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA says almost 200,000 people have fled their homes because of the fighting since October 1 in Rutshuru and Masisi territory, north of Goma, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in eastern DRC.

Independent UN experts, the Kinshasa government and several Western nations including the United States and France accuse Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led M23, which Kigali denies.

bur/at/acc/js