Goma’s unfolding crisis: the humanitarian catastrophe and its devastating public health consequences in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Summary box Since 23 January 2025, intensified fighting between the Congolese armed forces and Rwanda-backed armed groups in and around Goma has triggered a major humanitarian crisis, leading to the collapse of public institutions, the internal displacement of over 700 000 people (as reported by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and widespread disruption of essential services.