The security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has taken a dire turn as humanitarian organizations report a sharp increase in targeted attacks against aid workers. As of Monday, January 12, 2026, several international NGOs have been forced to suspend operations in North Kivu and Ituri provinces following a series of ambushes, kidnappings, and the looting of aid convoys. These attacks, attributed to various armed groups operating in the region, have left thousands of displaced persons without access to critical food, clean water, and medical supplies.
The United Nations and various relief agencies have issued an urgent appeal to the Congolese government and the international community to provide better security guarantees for those on the front lines of the crisis. Humanitarian coordinators emphasized that aid workers are being increasingly targeted as “soft targets” by groups seeking to extort resources or send political messages. The suspension of aid comes at a catastrophic time, as the region faces a resurgence of preventable diseases and a growing hunger crisis fueled by the ongoing displacement of millions of civilians. Without immediate intervention to protect the humanitarian corridor, officials warn that the death toll from the lack of aid could soon surpass that of the direct conflict.
