The streets of Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were littered with dead bodies, and hospitals were inundated with patients suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds, a day after Rwanda-backed M23 rebels stormed the city. The invasion marks a significant escalation in a conflict that has plagued the region for three decades, with fighting continuing to rage in parts of the city.
On Tuesday, sporadic gunfire and mortar explosions echoed through Goma’s streets, where numerous casualties were reported, according to Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA). “The humanitarian situation in and around Goma remains extremely worrying,” Laerke said during a briefing in Geneva. He added that hospitals were overwhelmed, struggling to cope with the influx of wounded, and there were alarming reports of rapes by fighters.
Adelheid Marschang, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergency response coordinator for Congo, confirmed that hundreds of people had been hospitalized with gunshot and other injuries. “We are hearing reports of health workers being shot at and patients, including babies, being caught in crossfire,” she said. Over the weekend, WHO had already recorded 600-700 wounded individuals across Goma’s hospitals.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that one of its hospitals received more than 100 patients within 24 hours, many suffering from head wounds and chest trauma caused by mortars and shrapnel. Patrick Youssef, ICRC’s regional director for Africa, described the dire situation: “While the hospital is overwhelmed, we are still receiving calls from desperate injured people who struggle to access healthcare.” He also noted a sharp rise in the number of severely injured children, with patients forced to wait in corridors due to a lack of beds and the hospital parking lot converted into a triage center.
The violence has been accompanied by widespread looting, with both the ICRC and the World Food Programme (WFP) reporting the theft of medical and food supplies. Shelley Thakral, WFP spokesperson in Kinshasa, warned that prolonged fighting could severely disrupt food supplies to the city, exacerbating the already critical humanitarian crisis.
As Goma grapples with the devastating consequences of the rebel advance, the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene and address the escalating conflict, which continues to claim lives and displace thousands in the region.
