IOM Spokesperson: Statement On Flooding in Democratic Republic of Congo

Geneva/Kinshasa, 12 May 2025 – IOM is deeply concerned by the devastating impact of heavy rains and flooding battering South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over 100 lives have reportedly been lost, including women, children, and the elderly, and many hundreds of people have been displaced.  

IOM expresses its condolences to those impacted by the recent heavy rain and flooding, which is exacerbating the suffering and increasing the needs of communities harmed by months of violence between the Congolese Armed Forces and the Mouvement du 23 Mars ( M23).   

Nearly 1.2 million have been displaced from their homes in North and South Kivu since January, while another 1.8 million have been compelled to return to their areas of origin with little to no access to assistance — many because displacement sites in areas under M23 control have been dismantled. 

Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in eastern DRC lack access to critical services including shelter, health care, access to water and protection assistance. We continue to try scale up efforts to ensure lifesaving aid reaches people in need in DRC while calling for durable solutions.
 

For more information, please contact IOM Media Centre