Since gaining independence in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has faced a complicated series of challenges marked by armed conflict, political instability and economic hardships. Tensions in the DRC are on an escalating trajectory as the Congolese army and its allied militias battle with the March 23 Movement group in North and South Kivu. Attempts to restore peace through the Nairobi and Luanda Processes have stalled, and the United Nations has expressed concerns over escalating regional conflict since the controversial presidential election in December 20231.

Amid the ongoing turmoil in the DRC lies a severe humanitarian crisis. Since 1 October 2023, United Nations agencies have reported more than 3,000 human rights violations in the country, including arbitrary civilian murders, abductions, sexual violence towards women and forcible recruitment of children into armed groups. In addition, 25.8 million DRC citizens face food insecurity amid widespread famine, and more than 450,000 people have been displaced by the conflict in the past two months alone. Disease outbreaks compound the health crisis, with more than 30,000 cases of cholera being reported in the first few months of 2023, and the recent outbreak2 of a lethal clade I mpox virus that has infected more than 500 people as of 22 November 2023.