The situation is particularly worrying in the troubled North Kivu province, where 2.8 million people have been displaced.
In the past week, more than 150,000 people have been displaced by ongoing fighting in the town of Lubero and the strategically important town of Kanyabayonga has been captured by the M23 rebels.
Situation ‘deteriorating rapidly’
The situation in the capital Goma is “deteriorating rapidly” as the city remains isolated from supply routes, IOM reported, adding that citizens are faced with theft, burglary, assault and intimidation.
“The proximity of frontlines and the presence of weapons in and around displacement areas significantly jeopardize the safety of displaced populations,” the agency said.
The situation is further complicated by the threat of disasters, including heavy rains, landslides and flooding, especially in South Kivu and Tanganyika, where tens of thousands of people were displaced in May.
Attacks on humanitarian workers
The region is also special dangerous for humanitarians.
On Sunday, a humanitarian convoy was attacked in the town of Butembo, North Kivu, killing two aid workers.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been more than 170 security incidents directly targeting humanitarian workers, leaving at least four dead and 20 injured.
In the first half of 2024, more than a dozen humanitarian workers were also kidnapped.
Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC, condemned the attack, stressing that “humanitarians are not targets, just as civilians are not targets”.
“The safety and protection of humanitarian workers must be ensured, and the perpetrators of these actions must be identified and brought to justice,” he added.
There is an urgent need for funding
In addition to the insecurity, the limited resources also pose an obstacle to providing aid.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the $2.6 billion humanitarian response plan for the DRC was only 26 percent funded, at $669 million.
If fully funded, the plan will enable UN agencies and humanitarian partners to provide assistance and protection to around 8.7 million of the most vulnerable people.