Overview
The long-running conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been one of the deadliest in the last half century.  More than 5 million people have died from causes associated with the conflict.  About 1.4 million people remain internally displaced in the DRC, and there are approximately 340,000 Congolese refugees in neighboring countries.  Civilians in eastern DRC continue to endure targeted attacks by all armed groups.  Before conditions can improve for displaced Congolese, the ongoing violence and insecurity in eastern DRC must be addressed.

Current Humanitarian Situation
Since the signing of the Goma agreement in January 2008, fighting between armed groups has continued, and an escalation in violence in late August 2008 led to over 250,000 new displacements in North Kivu.  Joint military operations carried out by the Congolese and Rwandan national armies against the FDLR rebel group in North Kivu in early 2009 also forced thousands of civilians to flee their homes.  The UN peacekeeping mission MONUC plays a vital role in protecting civilians, but it is hampered by resource constraints and its additional responsibilities, including supporting a national army that is poorly trained and ill-equipped.

As the insecurity continues and people remain displaced for longer periods, displaced people and host communities in eastern DRC, who assist the majority of the displaced, require assistance beyond basic services, particularly livelihood and education programs.  A decrease in violence in other parts of the DRC has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to return home.  However, infrastructure, particularly roads, remains poor, and returnees are often cut off from services and access to economic opportunities.

Action Needed

• UN agencies and humanitarian organizations must develop strategies to deal comprehensively with the dynamics of the current displacement crisis.
• The UN Security Council must ensure that MONUC has a clear and achievable mandate that prioritizes the protection of civilians, as well as the resources – both military and civilian – to do the job that is asked of it.
• The U.S., as well as the member states of the UN Security Council must provide sustained, high level political engagement to promote a long term political solution to the crisis in the DRC.