- Title: ICRC warns of 'catastrophic' situation in Goma as fighting overwhelms hospitals
- Date: 28th January 2025
- Summary: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (JANUARY 28, 2025) (REUTERS) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGO, FRANCOIS MOREILLON, EXITING BUILDING MOREILLON (SOUNDBITE) (French) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGO, FRANCOIS MOREILLON, SAYING: "The situation for the people of Goma is catastrophic. We are facing an unprecedented influx of wounded. Yesterday alone, we received some 148 wounded, including 136 civilians. This demonstrates the violence of the fighting and the danger of this type of conflict in formerly populated areas such as Goma. As a reminder, from January 1 to January 26, we carried out some 720 operations with our three war surgery teams based in Goma." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (French) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGO, FRANCOIS MOREILLON, SAYING: "Because just this morning, our stocks were looted and we lost all the medicines that are essential for treating the wounded in the hospitals we support. This puts us in an absolutely impossible situation in that, from tomorrow onwards, we're going to run out of essential medicines to treat the wounded. This is therefore a good time for me to reiterate that the medical mission must be strictly respected. There have also been casualties among medical staff in various structures. Ambulances have also been hit. So this is an absolutely inadmissible situation that calls for immediate action on the part of the belligerents to respond to the situation and protect the medical mission. As well as the wounded who are trying to access the structures we support." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (French) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGO, FRANCOIS MOREILLON, SAYING: "So today we're totally overwhelmed. We have 147 beds available, plus around 50 at the Goma provincial hospital. Nevertheless, our capacity is clearly exceeded. As I said, from the beginning of the year, 720 people have been treated in these facilities. And we have people on the floor in every part of the hospital. And we continue to receive injured people. Just today, as I was talking to the teams, 18 new cases had arrived." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (French) INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE FOR CONGO, FRANCOIS MOREILLON, SAYING: "We're working very hard to try and compensate for the shortages caused by the looting, so that we can respond to this situation as best we can. But to tell you the truth, I have no idea how we'll be able to respond tomorrow." VARIOUS OF MOREILLON
- Embargoed: 11th February 2025 18:14
- Keywords: africa aid conflict congo democratic humanitarian insurgencies military peace republic rwanda security war
- Location: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- City: KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
- Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- Topics: Africa,Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA001688928012025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned on Tuesday (January 28) of a "catastrophic" situation in Goma as M23 rebel fighting overwhelms hospitals in the eastern Congolese city.
"We are facing an unprecedented influx of wounded. Yesterday alone, we received some 148 wounded, including 136 civilians," Francois Moreillon, ICRC country representative for Congo, told Reuters.
Moreillon said ICRC medical stocks had been looted, putting them in "an absolutely impossible situation" to treat the wounded.
The crisis deepened as M23 rebels seized control of Goma's airport, potentially cutting off a vital aid supply route, U.N. sources said. The rebel advance has left dead bodies in streets and sparked widespread looting, according to U.N. reports.
(Production: Benoit Nyemba, Cooper Inveen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None