Humanitarian emergency in Goma, DRC: “The situation is dire. Ongoing fighting means that people who had already fled their homes are now being forced to flee again, this time from IDP camps.” Tearfund spokesperson available from the region.
The current situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is critical. Escalating violence and conflict between armed groups has significantly worsened the humanitarian crisis, leaving those fleeing their homes facing an increasingly uncertain future.
“The situation is dire. The ongoing fighting taking place means that people who had already fled their homes are now being forced to flee again, this time from IDP camps, carrying all their belongings on their bikes or backs. This means they are incredibly vulnerable – going from a camp where they had nothing into a city where they have even less,” says Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s Country Director for the DRC.
“Those who have been displaced have been caught up in the violence. Only yesterday a bomb landed on the IDP site where Tearfund has been providing water and latrines for the past 18 months.
“People should be safe, including humanitarian workers who are also in the city and are under the same threat.”
Since the conflict started, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and in just a few weeks since the start of 2025, an additional 400,000 people have been displaced. This surge in violence, on the back of years of ongoing conflict, will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Poppy Anguandia said, “Today our staff have been told to stay at home and will be evaluating security on a daily basis.
“Please pray for God's protection and peace over our staff and their families in Goma and that the heavy fighting would stop and people can return home.”
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For further information or interview requests: email Maddie Gordon at [email protected]. For urgent out of hours media enquiries please call 07929 339813.
Notes to editors:
- Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
