Nearly 90% of surveyed East Congo clinics out of Medicine

8/10/2025 18:04

More than 200 health facilities in war-hit eastern Congo have run out of medicines due to widespread looting and supply chain disruptions during fighting this year, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.



The finding is part of a survey conducted last month of 240 health centres and clinics in North and South Kivu provinces.



It is the largest such assessment the ICRC has carried out since a lightning advance by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels spurred fighting that has killed thousands.

Nearly nine out of 10 surveyed facilities were fully out of medicines.



Staff shortages affected 40% of facilities covered by the survey, 13% were completely nonfunctional and "many" reported consistent supply shortages going back to January, when M23 seized Goma, the largest city in the region.



Rwanda has long denied backing M23 and says its forces act in self-defense.



But a group of U.N. experts said in a report in July that Kigali exercised command and control over the rebels.