Renewed fighting displaced over 250,000 civilians, sometimes repeatedly. The ICRC and the Red Cross Society of the DRC adapted their operations in North Kivu to focus on the consequent emergency needs.

While a relative calm prevails today, encouraging some families to return home, needs, in humanitarian terms, abound. Parts of the Kivus are seeing fresh waves of displacement. Many displaced people found refuge among residents of towns and villages west of Lake Kivu. The influx of destitute people buffeted the host communities’ economies.

To help revive farming activities and boost self-reliance, the ICRC and DRC Red Cross continue to assist displaced people, residents and returnees with seed and tools and through water and sanitation projects.

With DRC Red Cross/ICRC backing, 34 counselling centres provide medical and psychological support to victims of sexual violence, while several hospitals and community health centres throughout the region receive medicines and other materials.

Insecurity in the Haut Uélé district of Oriental Province has driven thousands of people out of their villages towards urban areas, where they lack survival means and need shelter urgently. The ICRC has opened an office in Dungu to assist them.

The DRC Red Cross and the ICRC register unaccompanied children, endeavour to trace missing children and help reunite family members separated by the conflict. The children include those formerly associated with the armed forces and armed groups.

The ICRC monitors the conditions and treatment of detainees in North and South Kivu, including those held by armed groups.

The ICRC has been working in the DRC since 1978.

Personnel (2009): 649, including 67 expatriates

Our world. Your move in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Special features from Congo (DRC)

Campaign page on icrc.org

Campaign portal: ourworld-yourmove.org

The year 2009 has great significance for the ICRC and the entire Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: it marks the 150th anniversary of the battle of Solferino and the 60th anniversary of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949. In observance of these anniversaries, the Movement has launched a campaign, Our world. Your move, to remind everyone of his or her individual responsibility to lessen human suffering.

The DRC is one of the countries being highlighted as part of the campaign. Despite the 2003 peace agreements, fighting continues in the east of the country, and the war in the DRC is the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, having claimed 5.4 million lives so far.