A growing health crisis is unfolding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where more than 80 percent of health centres in North and South Kivu are functioning without humanitarian assistance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned.
The situation has left thousands of civilians, many wounded or chronically ill, without access to basic medical care amid escalating violence, drug shortages, and the flight of medical workers.
According to an ICRC assessment conducted in September 2025, about 85 percent of the facilities in the region lack essential medicines, while nearly 40 percent have lost key health personnel.
The absence of humanitarian funding and the insecurity caused by armed groups have crippled many hospitals and clinics, forcing patients to travel long and dangerous routes in search of treatment.
“It’s often the case that even when a sick or wounded person manages to reach a medical facility, despite the difficulties in doing so, there isn’t anyone qualified to treat them. And even when there is someone, in most cases, the medicines they need aren’t available,” said Dr Hippolyte Ten, deputy health coordinator at the ICRC.
The ICRC noted that transferring patients to functioning hospitals has become nearly impossible due to continued fighting and roadblocks. Some patients attempt to walk for hours or even days, while others die before reaching care. Since January, more than 70 percent of the 240 facilities assessed have treated victims of armed clashes.
Health centres are running short of basic and lifesaving supplies, including vaccines, antimalarial drugs, antiretrovirals, tuberculosis medication, rape treatment kits, and HIV test kits. Many facilities also face severe difficulties in restocking due to high transport costs and multiple checkpoints set up by armed groups.
“We are struggling to get to Bukavu, where we buy our medicines. And when we do succeed in buying them, not only do we have to pay transport costs, but we also have to pay lots of other fees at checkpoints set up by various armed groups along the route,” said Dr Pierre, medical director of a hospital in South Kivu.
The humanitarian strain is worsened by large-scale displacement. Over 91 percent of health facilities have received more than 5,000 displaced people each since the beginning of 2025, most of whom arrive with no means to pay for medical treatment.
“Many of us have no money left and cannot get hospital treatment, so we are staying home despite being seriously ill. This is why people in our community are dying,” said Plamedi, a displaced resident in South Kivu, as quoted by the ICRC.
With many hospitals destroyed or abandoned, some medical teams have been forced to operate from makeshift shelters such as schools or tents, exposing patients to malaria, pneumonia, and waterborne diseases.
“Currently, more than 80 per cent of health facilities in the Kivu provinces receive no support from humanitarian partners and are only operational thanks to the remarkable commitment of their staff on both sides of the front lines,” said François Moreillon, head of the ICRC delegation in the DRC.
The ICRC has urged immediate intervention to protect health personnel, restore medicine deliveries, and guarantee safe evacuation of patients. “The lives of thousands of people are at stake,” Moreillon warned.