New York, October 21, 2025 - I have just returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where I visited Kinshasa and Goma to witness firsthand the realities facing women and girls caught in one of the world’s most neglected humanitarian crises — one marked by displacement, protection, health, and food/nutrition challenges. Throughout the visit, I reaffirmed our collective commitment to their health, rights, and protection.
I met extraordinary women and girls living through unimaginable hardship. I spoke with midwives who continue to deliver babies under extremely difficult conditions. I listened to mothers who had lost everything, and to young girls who still carry the scars of violence. I also met local partners, including women-led organizations and frontline health workers, who continue to serve their communities with courage and compassion.
I was devastated to hear the story of a 14-year-old girl who had been raped several times. She was receiving treatment for fistula caused by the assaults at one of the UNFPA-supported hospitals. She told me that she still dreams of returning to school after her recovery. Her story reflects so many others I heard — women and girls who endure tremendous suffering yet never give up on hope.
Even before the current escalation, three women died every hour from pregnancy- and birth-related complications in the DRC. Women and girls are being raped, exploited, and abused in camps, in transit, and within their own communities. Adolescent girls are among those most at risk, accounting for a third of reported gender-based violence cases. Meanwhile, access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services has been severely constrained by insecurity, access limitations, and funding shortages.
UNFPA has designated the DRC as an internal Level 3 emergency; our highest classification in terms of severity and needs. This reflects both the magnitude of the crisis and the organization-wide scale of our humanitarian response.
We are actively responding to the rise in conflict-related sexual violence, which has increased by more than 35 percent compared to last year. We are ensuring that survivors receive medical treatment and psychosocial support. Our teams are providing lifesaving supplies, supporting health facilities to deliver post-rape care, and helping women and girls rebuild their lives through cash assistance, vocational training, and community resilience programming.
The needs are growing, but the resources are not. In 2025, UNFPA is targeting 1.4 million people with humanitarian assistance in the DRC. As we near the end of the year, only half of UNFPA’s appeal has been funded.
We must remember that without access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, women and girls will die — and women and girls in the DRC need us more than ever.
Thank you.
