New York, Nov. 18 -- "I was born in war-it's all I have ever known," said Floribert*. The 20-year-old, who was shot in the leg, is among a dozen patients recovering from ballistic trauma injuries at Mweso General Hospital, North Kivu, in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) works. "I can't see peace coming any time soon."

DRC has been mired in conflict for the past three decades. During the first half of 2025 alone, MSF treated more than 3,600 people for violence-related injuries across the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, and Maniema.

This high caseload is likely due to a combination of factors, including intense fighting between the Congo...