Women evicted from DRC camps face sexual violence

Goma, 17 March 2025 — Women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are being subjected to rape, sexual violence and forced marriage.

After being forced out of displacement camps, women are sent back to dangerous areas controlled by armed groups, ActionAid warned.  

The recent escalation of violence has exacerbated what has been called an “epidemic” of rape and sexual violence in the DRC. In January and February, ActionAid’s teams in Fizi, Minembwe and Salamabila recorded 74 cases of sexual violence against women and 34 cases of forced or child marriage — more than double the number of forced marriages recorded in the same period last year.  

In the last two weeks of February alone, humanitarian organisations recorded 895 cases of rape—more than 60 per day. These figures are likely only a fraction of the actual number of cases.  

Since February, M23 forces have forced more than 400,000 people to leave camps around Goma and return to their homes in other parts of the country. Many of those forced to return home had originally fled brutal attacks. Now, women are returning to the same dangerous conditions they escaped, leaving them even more vulnerable to violence and abuse.  

Esperance*, 34, was among those evicted from Bulengo camp in February, when M23 forced ordered more than 180,000 people to leave within 72 hours. She had lived there for two years after fleeing an armed attack on her village in Masisi. 

When she returned to Masisi with her three children, their house had been burned down and their belongings looted. There was no water, no food, no health center — and no one to offer protection.  

“They told us to go home, but there was nothing left. No house. No food. No one to help us,” Esperance said. 

She now lives in constant fear of attack by the same armed groups that forced her to flee.  

"What are we returning to? It’s just empty land. The same people who chased us away still have guns. Every night, I fear they will come back,” she said.  

"When you have nothing, men come and say, 'If you sleep with me, I will give you food.' This is how women are forced to survive here.”   

Under international law, displaced people must not be forcibly returned to areas where their lives or freedom are at risk. But ActionAid warns that M23’s forced evictions are forcing women and children to return to places where they face violence, exploitation, and abuse. 

A community volunteer for ActionAid in Bulengo said: “We saw families being forcibly removed with no alternatives. Many fled without their belongings. Those who resisted were threatened. Some are now sheltering in churches and schools across Goma, but the conditions are dire. 

"We see families living under trees or in ruined houses, with no food or water. The situation is desperate." 

Before the forced returns, ActionAid had been supporting women in Bulengo camp—many of them survivors of sexual violence—with skills training, mental health services, and safe spaces. But when the camp was dismantled, those vital services were shut down overnight. 

"I had just started sewing. I was so proud because I was earning a little money for the first time since we left home. I could buy soap for my children and even small sweets to make them smile. Now, back here, I have nothing, not even a needle," Esperance said.  

ActionAid is urging the international community to stop the forced returns, protect displaced women and children, and restore humanitarian access to conflict-affected areas. 

 Saani Yakubu Mohammed, Country Director for ActionAid DRC, said: 

“Women and girls in the DRC have long faced staggering rates of rape and sexual violence. It is impossible to comprehend the life-long trauma that these women live with, but at least in the camps they were able to access protection and essential services. Now, they are being sent back into the hands of their attackers, with no food, no shelter, and no safety. 

“In many places women have been forced to return to, there is no access for humanitarian agencies like ours. Without this protection, women and girls face an increased risk of attacks, including rape and sexual slavery by armed gangs. We urgently need coordinated humanitarian responses so that we can protect women and girls who have been forcibly returned." 

ActionAid and its partners continue to provide emergency support, including mental health care, cash assistance, shelter, and protection for survivors of sexual violence. 

ENDS 

*Name has been changed to protect her identity. 

Notes to editors 

Cases of gender-based violence reported by women to ActionAid teams in Fizi, Minembwe and Salamabila, 2024-25 

Source: ActionAid DRC, Protection incident monitoring system in project sites.  

Spokespeople are available for interview, and photos, testimonies and video footage are available on request. Please contact the press office at charlotte.rose@actionaid.org or on +44 7838508273 to arrange.