WHO says over 70 health care facilities destroyed in eastern Congo

More than 70 health care facilities have been damaged or destroyed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as escalating violence cripples medical services, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.

At a UN briefing in Geneva, WHO Representative Boureima Hama Sambo described the situation as "tense and volatile," with hospitals overwhelmed by casualties and disease outbreaks.

In hard-hit North Kivu alone, he said, 3,082 people have been injured and 843 killed, while attacks on medical centers have forced health workers to flee. Armed groups have occupied WHO-supported clinics, and emergency services are stretched beyond capacity, he added.

The conflict has exacerbated the spread of infectious diseases, he noted, adding that cholera cases in North Kivu have surged, with nearly 600 suspected infections and 14 deaths reported in January.

Mpox containment efforts have also been severely disrupted, with 90% of patients fleeing isolation units, according to Sambo. Before the escalation, there were 143 patients in isolation units, he said. Malaria, measles, and tuberculosis continue to spread, while chronic disease care has become increasingly inaccessible.

Malnutrition is also rising, with over a quarter of the population facing acute food insecurity, he added.

The WHO urgently needs $50 million to sustain its response, he added.

According to WHO, the US' recent decision to freeze foreign aid is significantly impacting relief efforts in Congo.

Last year, the US contributed to as much as 70% of the country's humanitarian response, the agency said, noting that the country has also been a major funder of the mpox response, and had pledged a million vaccine doses from its own stocks to global efforts.

The violence in Goma, capital of the North Kivu province, erupted last month when M23 rebels launched a major offensive against government forces.

WHO reported that more than 900 people had been killed, with nearly 3,000 injured.

Thousands have been displaced, many fleeing to neighboring Rwanda, including staff from international organizations such as the UN and the World Bank.

The M23 declared a unilateral ceasefire Monday after fighting the Congolese army for control of Goma.