Six months into renewed fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), cholera is claiming more than four lives every day, Oxfam International announced. Since January, more than 35,000 suspected cholera cases and at least 852 deaths have been reported—a 62% rise from last year. Ongoing violence and collapsing public services have left millions at risk as the health crisis spirals.
The backdrop to these figures is grim. When the conflict reached Goma in January, over 3 million people returned home, many to destroyed villages and shattered infrastructure. Water networks have been wiped out, forcing families to drink from unsafe streams and stagnant lakes. Hospitals are running out of medicine. In some communities, hundreds share just a single working water tap.
Oxfam’s country director for DRC, Dr. Manenji Mangundu, said families are returning to “ruins—no shelters, no toilets, no clean water.” Many, he explained, are forced to defecate in the open with latrines flooded or destroyed, contaminating the little water available. In eastern DRC’s Uvira region, cholera cases are soaring, with 100 new cases each day. Flooding from Lake Tanganyika only makes things worse as latrines overflow into the lake, and people continue to use the contaminated water.
Heavy fighting and roadblocks have cut off aid routes, while deep funding cuts have pushed the humanitarian response to the edge. Only a small portion of the $2.54 billion needed for 2025 has reached the DRC, causing agencies like Oxfam to shrink or stop many projects.
“We’re forced to make impossible choices, leaving thousands behind,” said public health team leader Balume Loutre.
Even so, Oxfam and partners are still working to provide essentials like safe water, hygiene kits, and food where possible. But the need is overwhelming. Oxfam is calling for immediate funding and for all warring parties to allow unhindered access. After six months of conflict, people in the DRC are desperate for relief and hope that the world will not look away.
