Fresh reports from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) indicate that renewed armed conflict in the Masisi territory has almost doubled cases of severe acute malnutrition.

Development Diaries reports that an average of 800 children suffering from the disease have been admitted for treatment at hospitals in Mweso and Masisi since the beginning of the year, according to Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

The resumption of hostilities between the Congolese armed forces, the M23 movement, and various other armed groups has led to the displacement of many people from their homes and worsened an already critical humanitarian situation.

The nutrition situation of children, including displaced families, has deteriorated largely due to the upsurge in violence, which has a direct impact on the socio-economic situation of communities.

Few medical facilities remain functional, and those that are open are often short of essential medical supplies.

When children with moderate malnutrition fail to receive proper treatment in health centres, they are more likely to become severely malnourished and suffer medical complications, which are much more difficult to cure.

Development Diaries calls on the authorities in the DRC to immediately address the increasingly worsening nutritional situation in the country.

Photo source: MSF