Armed violence, health crisis and blocked aid: UN renews call to protect civilians and ensure unhindered humanitarian access in eastern DR Congo

OCHA warns that the humanitarian crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is worsening as violence drives displacement, school closures and disruptions to aid, while Ebola spreads. In Ituri, nearly 50 civilians held for about three months were released in Mambasa, but local civil society groups reported that at least 24 civilians were killed and 43 abducted in October. In South Kivu, clashes between the army and FRN rebels forced 26 schools to close, affecting nearly 6,000 children; North Kivu accounts for about 60% of newly reported Ebola cases. As of November 1, the country had recorded more than 10,500 confirmed cases and 5,100 deaths, and the UN urged conflict parties to protect civilians and enable humanitarian access.