What we’re watching: Weekly disaster update, March 3

We know all too well that disaster can strike anytime, anywhere in the world. Some disasters make headlines; others do not. Here at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), we monitor the status of disasters worldwide and compile a list of the ones we’re tracking weekly, along with relevant disaster-related media coverage.   

Here’s what we’re watching for the week of March 3, 2025. 

New or Emerging Disasters  

Unknown illness outbreak – Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): At least 60 people have died in northern DRC, and more than 1000 have been sickened in the last five weeks by an illness that has not yet been named. The World Health Organization suspects this to be a poisoning event from a water source or a chemical exposure rather than a virus.

Wildfires – South Carolina: Governor Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on March 2 due to wildfires burning in South Carolina. Currently, 175 fires are actively burning, with 4,200 acres burned so far. Evacuations were ordered in areas near Myrtle Beach. The blazes are about 30% contained, and no injuries have been reported.

North Carolina is also dealing with fires but has not yet declared an emergency. The fires were caused by a downed power line in dry, gusty conditions.

Tornado – South Dakota: South Dakota’s first-ever winter tornado occurred this past week. While no one was hurt and there was no damage, this is a historic weather event for one of the coldest states in America. It is very difficult for this region to accumulate the necessary humidity and atmospheric spin to produce a tornado during the winter months, especially considering that just last week, South Dakota recorded wind chills as low as –43 degrees.

Previous/Ongoing Disasters

Complex Humanitarian Emergencies – Democratic Republic of Congo

Many places worldwide are experiencing emergencies caused by conflict, climate change, drought, famine, economic challenges and other conditions that combine to create a complex humanitarian emergency (CHE). CDP maintains complete profiles on several CHEs, and we highlight these and other CHEs here weekly in the hopes of building awareness and philanthropic response.

The humanitarian emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sharply deteriorated as M23, a Rwandan-backed militia group, attacked the city of Goma and the surrounding displacement camps. Since M23’s takeover on Jan. 21, the humanitarian crisis for women, in particular, has worsened significantly.

Key facts:

• On Jan. 27, M23 set fire to the women’s wing of a prison after raping hundreds of female inmates and locking them inside. In the subsequent jailbreak, no women escaped, but about 2,000 men did.
• The UN human rights office reported that M23 was carrying out summary executions of children. Since the takeover, abductions, recruitment, murders and sexual assaults of children have soared. It should be noted that all parties to the conflict have committed sexual assaults.
• Children fleeing the conflict with their parents have succumbed to exhaustion.
• Human rights activists view this situation as a regression of 20 years of work for women’s rights.
• Most human rights activists, especially women’s rights activists, have been unable to leave their homes for over a month due to targeting by armed groups for their work.
• There hasn’t been electricity in Goma for the past 72 hours.
• Banks are closed or are being monitored, so many people are using digital payment systems as a workaround.
• The ability to work has been sharply curtailed, and many people are struggling to meet their basic needs, such as food, water and access to utilities.
• Journalists have been targeted for their reporting, so raising awareness of the atrocities occurring in eastern DRC is critical.

Human rights defenders are asking for psychological support for traumatized people, WASH needs, financial support for a response to gender-based violence and the amplification of stories coming out of the country to demand sustainable peace.

To help support communities affected by this crisis, please consider giving to CDP’s Global Recovery Fund.

What We’re Reading