After months of total isolation due to the fighting, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was able to carry out an exceptional relief mission in the Minembwe, Mikenge, Point Zero and Kipupu area. Lwin Yin Wynn Sint, head of the ICRC office that led the operation, describes a landscape of desolation where the right to survival has become a luxury.

A suffocating war economy

The forced isolation caused by the front lines led to an unprecedented social and economic collapse.

1. Rampant inflation: The price of basic necessities has exploded, with a kilo of sugar, for example, reaching the exorbitant price of $40 .
2. Loss of livelihood: Between fleeing the fighting and insecurity in the fields, families have lost their means of food production.
3. Limited access: Mobility is almost nonexistent, trapping civilians between combat zones.

A healthcare system on the brink of collapse

The medical situation is particularly grim. Healthcare facilities, whether direct or indirect targets of the conflict, are now mere shadows of their former selves.

1. Total shortages: Before the arrival of the ICRC, stocks of medicines and surgical equipment were completely depleted.
2. Maternal and child emergency: The ICRC notes a worrying increase in mortality among mothers and children.
3. Evacuations impossible: Between the state of the roads degraded by the rainy season and military operations, transferring the seriously injured to equipped hospitals (like the one in Fizi) is a constant logistical challenge.

“Healthcare facilities are limited to stabilizing patients, but struggle to provide them with comprehensive care. This leaves many people in critical condition, without a real solution.” — Lwin Yin Wynn Sint

The “humanitarian pause”: a fragile hope

This mission was made possible thanks to a rare truce negotiated between the regular forces (FARDC) and the armed groups (AFC/M23).

1. Respect for commitments: The ICRC confirms that all belligerents have kept their word, allowing the delivery of emergency medical kits.
2. Still insufficient aid: While the current resupply saves lives in the immediate future, it is only a temporary response to immense structural needs.

The ICRC's appeal: Respect the "Laws of War"

In conclusion to its mission, the humanitarian organization sends a twofold message:

1. To the belligerents: Respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is an obligation. Spared civilians and facilitated the passage of aid is not an option, but a legal necessity.
2. To the international community: It is imperative to support peace efforts to ensure continued humanitarian access and avoid a total collapse of the health system already predicted by recent studies.

The urgency remains: beyond medicines, it is lasting security that the populations of the highlands are calling for in order to resume the course of a normal life.