Goma, DRC, May 2, 2025 – Millions have been displaced by decades of long simmering conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Countless families have been torn apart, and too many lives have been uprooted. Fighting that intensified in early 2025 in eastern DRC, added a new layer of suffering and complexity to this protracted humanitarian crisis. From January to present, at least 1.15 million people have been displaced in North and South Kivu alone.
Time and again, it is women who have borne the brunt of this conflict, enduring loss, hunger, forced displacement, and unimaginable violence, while desperately attempting to hold their families and communities together.
During my recent visit to eastern DRC this past week, a theme I heard time and again from women was multiple displacements. One young, displaced mom I met in Sake, North Kivu, shared with me the story of how she had been raped and beaten when she was 14. She became pregnant and nine months later gave birth to a daughter. While dealing with her own trauma, magnified by multiple displacements, she resorted to selling her daughter’s only piece of clothing in order to feed her. Her words echo the silent cries of so many others whose lives have been suspended in a state of fear and uncertainty.
I have also heard stories of strength and determination. As they do during so many conflicts globally, women in the DRC take on such critical roles supporting their communities and addressing urgent needs on the ground.
The persistent fighting has also made the delivery of critical humanitarian relief incredibly difficult. Our CARE DRC team and local partners shared with me that driving from Goma to Beni – two cities in the same province 200 km apart – requires now crossing the border into neighboring countries (Rwanda and Uganda) due to insecurity and difficulties to move between areas held by different parties. As a result, this journey – that should take four hours – takes two days. Humanitarian actors and the people of the DRC experience this, not just in North Kivu, but across the eastern regions.
It will take a united, urgent, and sustained effort from all – the warring parties, regional states, civil society, donors (including private donors) and the global community — to ensure those impacted by the fighting – especially women and girls – not only survive, but heal, lead, and thrive in lasting peace.
Those involved in the peace efforts in the region must do all they can to make it hold. It should not be mere ink on paper but a commitment to do everything to stop the violence permanently. Local Women-Led Organizations must be empowered with the funds and resources needed to respond at scale. They know the struggles their communities face and are critical in the humanitarian response. Lasting peace is not a privilege, but a human right that must be upheld, and we must act now to guarantee it.
– Deepmala Mahla, CARE’s Chief Humanitarian Officer
For media inquiries, please contact usa.media@care.org or email David Mutua, CARE East Central, & Southern Africa Regional Communication Advisor, david.mutua@care.org