"A surge in cholera cases linked to mass displacement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and record flooding is putting growing pressure on health services, with patients being treated at Ruzizi General Referral Hospital in South Kivu. Footage filmed on Monday shows doctors treating cholera patients outdoors at Ruzizi General Referral Hospital, and patients lying on makeshift beds inside treatment wards. Medical workers were also seen sanitising the wards as staff continue to manage the outbreak. Patients described suddenly becoming dizzy and having stomach pains as severe symptoms developed rapidly. "I initially took three oral IV fluids, thinking it would pass [...] Despite the medication I was taking, it didn't help at all. By 5:00 a.m. on Friday, I couldn't walk, see, or hear," said one of the patients. Dr John Kumbuka Basimise, attending physician at the hospital, said the facility has recorded at least 350 cholera cases so far, including three deaths. The shortages of staff caused by the ongoing conflict have complicated things even further, delaying the medical response. "The challenges we face are linked to the war because many nurses fled; some are currently in Burundi, and others are in various villages. We find ourselves with a very small staff to care for the sick," he said. "We have truly sacrificed ourselves. The doctors who stayed spend days and nights here with the patients because we can no longer abandon them," he added. Doctor Basimise also emphasised that displaced people living in crowded villages are the most affected, though he noted that the number of new cases is beginning to decline. "We were receiving at least 57, sometimes 60 cases per day. We started to see a decrease to 40 cases per day. But currently, we thank God because we are starting to receive fewer cases," he added. According to UNICEF, the total amount of reported cholera cases has exceeded 64,000, with over 1,800 deaths. The disease outbreak is currently active in 17 out of 26 provinces, with North and South Kivu, Tanganyika remaining the most affected. The government has launched the initiative called 'River Congo without cholera', under which 10 million people were vaccinated in 2025 using a single-dose strategy. Clashes between the Congolese army and M23 rebels have displaced millions, swelling some South Kivu villages by up to 700 per cent and overwhelming sanitation. According to reports, overcrowded camps share single latrines among more than 1,000 people, fueling disease, while strikes and medical shortages have crippled healthcare response. This comes amid continued fighting in eastern DRC. Years of fighting between government forces and the M23 movement have displaced millions and destabilised large parts of eastern DRC. The conflict escalated this year, with M23 seizing the main cities of Goma and Bukavu. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the militant group - allegations Rwanda firmly denies."