🇨🇩 Over 3 Million Displaced Congolese Return Home Amid Fragile Peace

While returns signal hope, humanitarian needs remain critical across the DRC.

Zig Diaries Humanitarian Affairs
Date: Monday, 11 August 2025
Time: 18:28 WAT
Location: 📍 Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

More than 3 million displaced people have returned to their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as of July 2025, according to fresh data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The figures show that over 2 million people have gone back to their villages in North Kivu province, while more than 600,000 have returned in South Kivu. This shift has reduced the number of internally displaced people nationwide from 6.9 million in 2024 to 5.9 million this year.

However, humanitarian officials warn that the returns are not always voluntary and do not necessarily mean safety or stability. In North Kivu, many families were forced to leave displacement camps in Goma and Nyiragongo after they were dismantled earlier this year, pushing them back to insecure home areas.

The country’s humanitarian crisis remains severe. DRC is still grappling with outbreaks of cholera, measles, and mpox, while over 27 million people face food insecurity. Among them, 4.5 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, OCHA said.

The fragile calm follows a ceasefire agreement signed in mid-July between the Congolese government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Yet, attacks in late July cast doubt on the truce. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that M23 fighters killed at least 319 civilians in four villages in Rutshuru territory between 9 and 21 July.

Humanitarian agencies stress that sustaining peace and expanding aid delivery will be critical to preventing further cycles of displacement.

Fact-check & Background Context:

·        OCHA’s figures indicate a drop in IDPs by 1 million compared to 2024.

·        Displacement in North and South Kivu has been driven largely by conflict involving M23 rebels and other armed groups.

·        Humanitarian needs remain critical despite returns, compounded by public health crises and food insecurity.

·        The July 2025 ceasefire is the latest in a series of attempts to end hostilities, but M23 attacks risk undermining the process.

🏷️ Tags: Democratic Republic of Congo, Displacement, Humanitarian Crisis, M23 Rebels, North Kivu, South Kivu, OCHA, Peace Process
#DRC #HumanitarianAid #Displacement #OCHA #NorthKivu #SouthKivu #AfricaNews #ZigDiaries