Humanitarian Observatories series | how domestic fire has become a humanitarian crisis: case of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Domestic fires have heavily affected Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), causing deadly humanitarian crises with multiple effects. In 2024 alone, the DRC Humanitarian Observatory (DRC H-O) reported at least 59 cases of domestic fires leading to at least 21 deaths, 2706 houses, 5 schools and 4 churches were burnt, while at least 15,945 people  were affected. However, proper urbanization and enforcement of Congolese urban regulations and norms could make a difference. In this blog, members of the DRC H-O call for more actions to prevent this type of crisis in the country and other similar contexts worldwide.

Domestic fires burning houses and resulting in dramatic effects Bukavu is the capital city of the South-Kivu province in the eastern DRC. In 2024, its population was estimated to be at least at 1.3 million inhabitants, with almost two third living in less urbanized zones, with only 68.6% (∼29.7 km2) having been built-up. In the last 5 years, the city has been experiencing unprecedented cases of burnt houses with loss of numerous assets and many people’s deaths and injury, as well as multiple damages creating a visible yearly humanitarian repeated crisis. From 2018 through 2023, Mulengezi et al. have estimated increasing exponential cases of deaths (633.3%) and houses burnt (6501%). The DRC Humanitarian Observatory conducted a field visit to the three municipalities of the Bukavu city to inform this report. Some observations This report concerns the Camp-Zaïre and Inga avenue domestic fires in June 2023 and of the first nine months of 2024 in Bukavu; a domestic fire crisis in the city. In 2023, in the night of 3 to 4 June, a large domestic fire occurred in the Camp-Zaïre and Inga avenues leaving at least 1098 people without homes forced to become internally displaced persons, the case being the fourth reported in the same Nkafu street in 2023 and the second in the same avenues since 2019. From January to September 2024, according to the DRC-HO, at least 59 domestic fire cases happened in Bukavu leading to at least 21 deaths, 2706 houses being damaged, 5 schools and 4 church buildings burnt and leaving at least 15,945 without homes and shelters, as can be seen in Figure 1. Fire has affected mostly the Kadutu and Ibanda communes with a peak in Nyalukemba (11.9%) in the former, and Nyakaliba (23.7%), Nkafu (20.3%) in the latter. However, in terms of houses burnt, Nyamugo Street was the most affected, with at least 2000 out of 2706 houses having been burnt, representing 73.9% of the total. In addition, other effects varied from burnt trees, conflicts over land among neighbours, many losses of valuable documents, including land property certificates, academic and high school diplomas, and electoral cards. Domestic fires in Bukavu: some challenges in humanitarian assistance Combatting these quick-spreading fires poses significant challenges, including those related to humanitarian assistance delivery.

1. Challenges of urbanization, electricity, road, and fire engine access

Despite the existence of Congolese regulations related to construction in urban settings and electrification of homes, many overcrowded houses built in unsuitable locations pose risks of erosion in the rainy season and of domestic fires during the dry season. These are made of semi-durable material and wood, and built next to each other without any space or footpath, creating a risk of fire spreading from one house to another and huge challenges to put out the fire. Houses are often located in areas with poorly constructed buildings, frequently have inadequate electricity installations, and due to a lack of roads for fire engine access, prompt intervention is difficult. The fire department also lacks the necessary equipment to intervene, and its staff are less trained and less motivated to do their job as firefighters. Though some fire engines exist in the city, they often lack fuel and proper maintenance to operate in case of an emergency, such as a domestic fire.

1. Challenges of the coordination committee, lists, and relocation

The most frequently mentioned challenge was the manipulation of lists of affected community members by local chiefs. There is evidence of these chiefs including their brothers and sisters even when they were not victims of the crisis on the lists to access individual benefits from aid distribution. The chiefs exaggerated some of these lists, though affected people were also included. The case comes from an avenue where victims received one metal sheet each, while non-victims received five metal sheets each, because they were either brothers, sisters or friends of the local chief. This is a common manifestation of a lack of transparency and accountability of the local aid coordination committee for personal interests; in some sites, there is not a real aid coordination committee; those who improvise themselves, do it for the sake to benefit from aid. 2. Challenges of unanswered needs and insufficient assistance Despite assistance provided by the Central DRC Government through her Excellency the Prime Minister, the First Lady, the Provincial Government through his Excellency the Governor of Province, some philanthropic foundations, some private initiatives by a National Parliamentary members, aid remained generally insufficient. Assistance that was provided related mostly to food, rather than to Essential Households Assets (EHA) and shelters; humanitarian agencies (including the United Nations agencies) were virtually invisible, except for some such as the al Imdaad foundation. At the same time, basic needs of health, education, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), housing and relocation remained unanswered, and the affected community themselves identified the highest need for construction materials. It is true that sometimes the Government is overwhelmed with many crises to the extent of not being able to answer affected people’s needs in varied sites and zones. Risk factors of domestic fire In Bukavu, data collected by the DRC-HO have shown that mainly the lack of proper urbanization and the lack of enforcement of existing urban regulations and norms are the main risk factor to domestic fire and its humanitarian repeated crises. We found key risks broken down into imprudence in kitchen (45.8%), unknown causes (39.6%), and bad installation of electricity (6.3%), intra-house conflict (4.2%), criminal act and fire at fuel station (2.1%), respectively. Recommendations in six areas

1. Better urbanization of the city and enforcement of regulations and urban norms at the municipality and division of land offices: To jail all of actors who deviate from regulations.Residents to demand and enforce such accountability by both judicial and administrative actors.
2. Relocation of all affected people to areas away from the risk of building collapseand domestic fire. Selecting these areas based on criteria of suitability for construction with electricity and water, closer to markets, schools and churches and accessible by road.
3. Reinforce qualitatively and quantitatively the local anti-fire brigade: Regularly revisit the training, motivation and equipment of the staff hired within the brigade, ensure that engines are always available and ready to stop any propagation of fire.
4. Creation of a ‘basket fund’ to prevent and combat domestic fires. Contribution of both National and Provincial Governments, of people of good will, parliamentary members and of private initiative to secure some fund to prevent fire and support anti-fire actions.
5. Promoting accountability and setting up earlier the coordination committee of assistance that is up to the task: Prompt selection of people, men and women from different backgrounds, motivated to identify victims and channel their needs to humanitarian actors. Also, being transparent and more accountable both vertically and horizontally about aid delivery to only affected people and involving affected community members in all cycle of assistance.
6. Regular advocacy and awareness raising of different sections of population: Intensive advocacy and awareness raising activities on: (i) the risk of domestic fire due to bad constructions and how to strengthen synergies of local chiefs to resist against any sort of land spoliation;(ii) mentality change to construct houses in durable materials and appropriate sites in cities;(iii) rural exodus by improving conditions in rural areas and; (iv) proper electricity installation in houses and set up an earlier warning system to prevent the spreading of fire.

[1] We recognize active participation of the DRC-HO members in the discussions of the 8 November 2024 advocacy café and the DRC-HO of 15 November 2024 from which the current blog is written, including Denise Shukuru Manegabe, Samuel Kyamundu, Jules Amani Kamanyula, Patience Mwanuka, Datty Hamuli, Eliane Ndagano, Gentil Kavusa, Jeremie Byenda and Julien Lukubika. Opinions expressed in Bliss posts reflect solely the views of the author of the post in question.  

About the authors:

Patrick Milabyo Kyamusugulwa is Professor at the Bukavu High Institute of Medical Techniques, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He is a member of the DRC Humanitarian Observatory and a member of the Social Science Centre for African Development-KUTAFITI. Delu Lusambya Mwenebyake is a PhD researcher at the International Institute of Social Studies (Erasmus University Rotterdam). Delu is working on humanitarian governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Community-driven, accountability, and advocacy in Humanitarian Actions. Innocent Assumani Muganza is member of the DRC Humanitarian Observatory board in addition to being member of the Observatory. Moise Amissi Esdra is Assistant at ISDR-Bukavu, member of CREGED and the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Salumu Saidi is member of both Assist asbl and the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Felicien Ahadi Mutaga is member of both Assist and the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Emmanuel Louis Muhanzi is member of both CERDHO of the Catholic University of Bukavu and the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Henri Kintuntu Munyangi is member of the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Kisangani Zacharie is member the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Léonie Aishe Saidi is a medical doctor, both member of Assist asbl and the DRC Humanitarian Observatory. Are you looking for more content about Global Development and Social Justice? Subscribe to Bliss, the official blog of the International Institute of Social Studies, and stay updated about interesting topics our researchers are working on.