As violence continues to escalate in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), families returning to their communities after months—or even years—of displacement are met with ruin, hunger, and uncertainty.

“These are families that were already displaced before the crisis that has rocked the city of Goma and North Kivu more broadly,” says Hercules Kipa, Head of Emergency Programmes for Concern, speaking from Kibumba. “Following this latest crisis, these communities returned to their areas of origin. These families that are returning home don’t have land to cultivate and have lost their sources of income. They are home, but their humanitarian needs continue.”

The most recent wave of displacement, triggered by renewed violence and the dismantling of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, has forced over a million people into precarious conditions. Humanitarian actors are on the ground, but their operations are hampered by serious funding shortfalls and a lack of security guarantees.

Beneficiaries like Mediatrice Busogi, who recently returned to Kibumba, share harrowing stories of survival and resilience. “When we returned, we found many dilapidated houses. The luckiest found their houses without doors and without roofs,” she explains. “We used tarpaulins to cover the houses and crammed into them with other families and that’s how we live so far.”

Despite the urge to rebuild, the road ahead is uncertain. For many, returning home is only the beginning of another struggle. In Sake, another hotspot in North Kivu, displaced community representative Byamungu Rukera outlines the priorities: “If we are lucky enough to return to our village, we will need to rehabilitate or rebuild our houses, have food, [and] household items until we can harvest the produce from our fields.”

The United Nations warns that the situation in the DRC remains one of the most complex and underfunded humanitarian crises globally. With more than 25 million people

At a United Nations Security Council meeting Thursday, the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, informed the members, “most Libyan leaders call for an inclusive political process and note the urgent need to end unilateral actions, unify institutions, and restore stability.”

Nevertheless, she added, “some believe a new unified government is the only solution, while others argue it will prolong the nearly fifteen-year transition period.”

After having held consultations with leaders, political parties, and civil society actors, Tetteh told the Council she intends “to maintain an inclusive stakeholder approach, ensuring that any outcome is not only Libyan-owned but also enjoys broader Libyan support.”

For his part, Libyan Ambassador Taher M. El-Sonni expressed support for “national processes which are geared towards achievement of consensus, and they should not be called into question.”

The funeral was held on Thursday for a Kenya-based Nigerian content moderator who died in unclear circumstances last month.

Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi’s decomposed remains were found on March 7 at her apartment on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, three days after she failed to show up at work.

Among the mourners was her elder brother, who travelled to Nairobi for the emotional ceremony. He was overcome by grief as friends and colleagues eulogised Olubunmi as “selfless.”

Olubunmi, 43, who was employed as a TikTok content moderator subcontracted by a global outsourcing firm, Teleperformance, had complained of fatigue before her death, the cause of which has not been revealed.

She had been living in Kenya since 2022 and only managed to travel back home once, despite having an annual return ticket benefit in her employment contract.

Colleagues said she was “desperate to go home” but was denied leave. Teleperformance Kenya said in a statement in March that she wasn’t denied leave to travel home. In a tribute, a company spokesperson described Olubunmi as “a selfless, compassionate and deeply caring individual.”

Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation.

More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company for poor pay and working conditions and unfair termination of employment.

Tauheed Tayo Yakubu, a colleague of Olubunmi, described her as a champion for better working conditions, detailing how in November 2023, she staged a walkout for Nigerian colleagues demanding for valid work permits.

“She requested that every Nigerian leave the job immediately and then we all marched,” he said.