When Two Disasters Strike at Once: The Concurrent M23 Takeover and USAID Collapse in Eastern DRC

Name: When Two Disasters Strike at Once: The Concurrent M23 Takeover and USAID Collapse in Eastern DRC
Start: 2026-02-12T11:45:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-12T12:45:00-05:00
Location: Private Location (sign in to display)

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Academic

Thu, Feb 12, 2026

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM EST (GMT-5)

Private Location (sign in to display)

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Flyer for When Two Disasters Strike at Once: The Concurrent M23 Takeover and USAID Collapse in Eastern DRC

Just days after the Rwandan‑backed M23 rebel group seized Goma, USAID froze funds in
Eastern DRC—triggering the collapse of the central pharmacies and cutting off drug supplies
to most rural clinics. Reports pointed to a sharp rise in mortality.
A local nutritionist who has hosted 18 PopFam students for their practicum, together with
PopFam alum Jennifer O’Keeffe, launched a study to measure the death toll and untangle
how much was driven by the funding freeze versus the M23‑related disruption. Surveying
communities across North and South Kivu, they compared areas affected by M23 control
with those untouched.
Their findings—and the complexities of attributing elevated mortality to each factor—will be
explored.

Speakers

Les Roberts

Professor Emeritus

Professor Emeritus Les Roberts holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and did a post-doctorate fellowship in epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control’s Refugee Health Unit. Les was the Director of Health Policy at the International Rescue Committee from 1999-2003. He has been involved in the field work of over 50 mortality surveys in conflict settings including in DRC, Zimbabwe, CAR, and Iraq.

Hosted By

Humanitarian Organization for Migration & Emergencies | Website | View More Events