Democratic Republic of the Congo - Eastern region: Overview of incidents against humanitarian workers (Jan 2026)

In January 2026, a total of 37 incidents affecting humanitarian actors were reported across eastern DRC, representing a decrease compared to the 48 incidents recorded in December. Of these 37 incidents, 16 (43 per cent) occurred in South Kivu, 15 (41 per cent) in North Kivu, three (8 per cent) in Ituri, three (8 per cent) in Tanganyika and zero in Maniema. This decrease suggests a relative easing of the operating environment at the start of the year, although insecurity remains prevalent in several provinces. For the first time in the past 12 months no critical incident was reported in January (injury, kidnapping or killing of humanitarian staff).

Since January 2025, a total of 663 incidents affecting humanitarian actors have been reported. North Kivu remains the most affected province with 305 incidents (46% of total), followed by South Kivu (193 incidents, 29%), Ituri (92 incidents, 14%), Tanganyika (51 incidents, 8%), and Maniema (22 incidents, 3%). This distribution confirms persistent access constraints across key operational areas.

Compared to 2025, January 2026 shows a higher proportion of incidents in South Kivu (43 vs 30 per cent reporting-period average), explained by the unstable context of the province, especially in the past 2 months.

Incident typologies in January remained consistent with previous months. Burglary, robbery, and intrusions accounted for 36 per cent of incidents, interference and movement restrictions for 33 per cent, and intimidation, threats, or physical aggression for 28 per cent, reflecting sustained pressure on humanitarian operations.