Sexual Violence In Eastern Congo Amid M23 Conflict

GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) - MARCH 26, 2024: Judith Serubungo, 35 at Kanyaruchinya IDP camp. She was brutally raped twice by fighters while she was fetching firewood in the forest on the outskirts of the camp. March 26, 2024 in Goma, DRC. She has nine children. At the heart of a deepening hunger crisis lies a catastrophic situation for women and girls, particularly those living in IDP camps. Women and girls face a constant threat of sexual violence, particularly when they go searching for firewood to sell to buy food for their families, resulting in horrifying rates of rape and gender-based violence. The conflict and violence in the Eastern Democratic republic of Congo led by M23 rebels has displaced nearly one million people since the start of the year, with most arriving to IDP camps in the outskirts of Goma; this has led to food shortages and a conflict-driven hunger crisis. As violence in the eastern provinces surges, it is forcing families to flee again and causing mass displacement while more and more people arrive in already overcrowded camps. (Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty Images)