The United Nations warns that health facilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are on the brink of collapse. In North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, 85 % of clinics and hospitals are facing medicine shortages, while almost 40 % of staff have fled the area, say UN officials.
“We are sounding the alarm over the collapse of the health system in North and South Kivu,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary‑General, told a daily briefing on Monday. The conflict, which continues to terrorise civilians and destroy infrastructure, has left millions with almost no access to care.
In North Kivu alone, UN partners report that about a third of health facilities in conflict zones have been destroyed, looted or abandoned. The remaining clinics are overcrowded and short on essential supplies—kinetic kits for survivors of sexual violence, cholera treatments, and even basic routine vaccines are running low. This crisis unfolds amid deadly outbreaks: over 8,600 cholera cases, more than 8,000 mpox cases and more than 10,500 measles cases have been recorded since the start of the year, Xinhua reports, with dozens of deaths already.
UN health teams estimate that without immediate help, more than 6,000 preventable deaths could happen before year‑end, and that maternal mortality could rise by 40 % in the hardest‑hit areas. The $2.5 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for the DRC is only 16 % funded. Dujarric stressed that partners urgently need $6 million to buy critical supplies and keep lifesaving services running.
“Urgent measures are required to keep healthcare facilities operational in all affected areas of eastern DRC,” the UN spokesperson said. “Additional funding is essential to prevent a greater tragedy.”
Source: ianslive
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