The Province of South Kivu, DRC experienced a disastrous October which was dotted with fires and landslides and violent crimes that have left dozens dead and thousands of families homeless.
A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), mentions that on October 4, a landslide in the Nyalukemba neighborhood killed five people, injured three others, and destroyed several homes.
“Between October 15 and 26, at least 17 people lost their lives in fires that ravaged several hundred homes in the communes of Bagira and Kadutu. These disasters left hundreds of households homeless, increasing the need for shelter, essential household items and food assistance,” OCHA says in its report released on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.
According to the report, the city of Uvira, still under the control of the Congolese government, remains marked by a persistently unstable environment, with high risks to the protection of civilians and the continuity of humanitarian interventions. On October 9, members of an armed group confiscated the vehicle of a humanitarian partner in Uvira.
“The vehicle was returned after a month of sustained advocacy. On October 11, tensions between different factions of armed groups led to exchanges of fire in Kavimvira, Uvira, causing severe disruption to socio-economic activities. On October 30, in Runingu (located about 20km north of Uvira), angry young people blocked the national road to protest against the escalating insecurity in their locality, which shelters more than 2,130 displaced and returned people,” the report states.
South Kivu continued to experience significant epidemic pressure, marked by a resurgence of cases of mpox, cholera, and measles. Mpox: 1,669 new cases were recorded in October, bringing the annual total to 19,391 cases and 18 deaths.
All 34 health zones in the province are affected, with a high concentration in Miti-Murhesa, Nyangezi, Uvira, Nyantende, Lulingu, Minova, Walungu, Kadutu, Kaziba, Kalehe, Kabae, and Kitutu.
Cholera: 1,154 new cases and 9 deaths were reported in October, bringing the annual total to 11,100 cases and 78 deaths.
The health zones of Minova, Fizi, Nundu, Katana, and Miti-Murhesa were experiencing an epidemic until October 31. Measles: 1,751 new cases, including 14 deaths, were recorded in October.
As of October 31, the annual total stood at 8,356 cases and 166 deaths. The health zones of Kitutu, Minova, Bunyakiri, Idjwi, Ruzizi, and Kamituga were experiencing an epidemic.
