DR Congo crisis update - UNHCR 07 March 2025
/
2:44
/
MP4
/
321.5 MB
Download

Edited News | UNHCR

DR Congo crisis update - UNHCR 07 March 2025

The aid response in Burundi to the crisis in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “is literally buckling”, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Friday, as it relayed dramatic testimonies from people forced to flee the unchecked advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

“Over 63,000 people now have crossed into the country, Burundi, fleeing atrocities, deadly conflict in parts of eastern DR Congo,” said Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes.

Amid the largest influx of refugees Burundi has seen in decades because of the hostilities in eastern DRC’s mineral-rich region, the UNHCR official issued an urgent appeal for immediate and sustained humanitarian funding to meet growing needs among the new arrivals. “This country, despite its best efforts, was not prepared for this emergency,” Ms. Kasina noted.

The alert comes just days since UNCHR warned that sexual violence and human rights abuses remain rampant near the frontlines in DRC, along with looting and destruction of homes and businesses.

To assist the new arrivals, UNCHR and partners are registering them in Rugombo before facilitating their onward passage to refugee sites far from the border. “But without more or without sustained funding, this - I mean - the aid response is literally buckling,” she warned.

At least 45,000 refugees have crammed into a stadium in Rugombo. “Conditions are extremely harsh…there are at least 45,000 people still sheltering in the stadium. The stadium is literally bursting at the seams.”

Testimonies from many of those fleeing grave rights violations in eastern DRC linked to the M23 advance have continued to highlight the seriousness of the ongoing emergency.

On 4 March, UNHCR warned that 895 cases of rape were reported to humanitarian actors in the last two weeks of February alone - an average of more than 60 a day.

One new mother “told me she gave birth three days before she had to flee and she had to cross the Rusizi river with her newborn baby in her arms and four more by her side,” Ms. Kasina said. “She was seeing people’s property and people's luggage sort of go down the river and she was scared for her life.”

Another DRC victim uprooted by the conflict described how she had already fled to Rugombo in Burundi as a teenager – “Now she's forced back in the exact - almost exact - same spot now with six children…it's just as an unending cycle of displacement.”

Highlighting the high number of children separated from their parents, UNHCR has set up a protection desk because “they have no point of contact and therefore these protection desks are useful in terms of trying to identify them, trying to connect them or reunite them with close family members”, the UNHCR official explained.

There are over one million Congolese refugees across Africa, mainly in neighbouring countries. Uganda hosts more than half of that total, while Burundi has seen most new arrivals since January’s flash M23 offensive. Prior to the current crisis, some 6.7 million people were internally displaced within the DRC.

ends

STORY: DR Congo update - UNHCR

TRT: 02:44”

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 7 March 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior medium shot: Palais des Nations, Flag Alley.
  2. Wide shot of the Press room, UN Geneva.
  3. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “Over 63,000 people now have crossed into the country, Burundi, fleeing atrocities, deadly conflict in parts of eastern DR Congo.
  4. Medium shot of podium speakers, journalists.
  5. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “I cannot underscore the importance of humanitarian funding for this response; it’s 60,000 people who've arrived in a matter of weeks, the largest influx this country has seen in decades.”
  6. Medium-wide, podium speakers, journalists.
  7. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “This country, despite its best efforts, was not prepared for this emergency. Humanitarian agencies are working round the clock Monday to Saturday, six days out of seven, at Rugombo, making sure that people are registered, trying to fasten the process so that the move to refugee sites. But without more or without sustained funding, this - I mean - the aid response is literally buckling.”
  8. Medium-wide, Press room.
  9. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “Conditions are extremely, extremely harsh at the local stadium where I was able to visit, there are at least 45,000 people still sheltering in the stadium. The stadium is literally bursting at the seams.”
  10. Medium, journalist.
  11. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “There's just a deep sense of exhaustion physically; mothers - new mothers - one in particular one who struck me because she told me she gave birth three days before she had to flee and she had to cross the Rusizi river with, her newborn baby in her arms and four more by her side. And you know, she was seeing people’s property and people's luggage sort of go down the river and she was scared for her life.”
  12. Medium-wide, Press room.
  13. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “I met this lady who's 45 years old and she told me, you know, this is not her first time being displaced. She had been in Burundi, specifically in Rugombo, in her teenage years, and now she's forced back in the exact - almost exact - same spot now with six children. And it's just as an unending cycle of displacement.
  14. Medium, podium speakers, journalists.
  15. SOUNDBITE (English) - Faith Kasina, UNHCR Regional Spokesperson for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (from Bujumbura, Burundi): “We've just set up a protection desk because we are seeing a huge number of unaccompanied and separated children, children who had to come - who've crossed over - you know, separated from their families. They have no point of contact and therefore these protection desks are useful in terms of trying to identify them, trying to connect them or reunite them with close family members.”
  16. Wide shot Press room.


Audio Files 1
Download DR Congo crisis update - UNHCR 07 March 2025 (Edited Story)
Download

Similar Stories

Gaza aid update - WFP

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP

Gaza aid update - WFP ENG FRA

Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire

In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | WFP , OCHA

Gaza aid and border crossings - WFP, OCHA 17 October 2025 ENG FRA

UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August. The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC

Gaza update – UNDP, UNICEF, OCHA, ICRC 14 October 2025 ENG FRA

Around $70 billion will be needed to reconstruct Gaza and make it safe after two years of war, UN development experts said on Tuesday, while aid agencies reported that far too little aid continues to reach  desperate Palestinians.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office

1

1

1

Edited News | OHCHR

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Machado: reaction from UN rights office ENG FRA

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to name Maria Machado as this year’s laureate, in recognition of her work promoting the Venezuelan people’s democratic hopes.

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza ceasefire agreement – UNRWA, UNICEF, WHO 10 October 2025 ENG FRA

As Gazans jammed the main route leading north on Friday after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, UN aid teams repeated their call to open all crossings into the devastated enclave to prevent famine spreading.

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians

Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire

UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.