IOM will continue to roll out its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to monitor internal displacement and population mobility. It will regularly and systematically capture, process, and disseminate information to provide a better understanding of the movements, their drivers and evolving needs of populations on the move. To the extent possible, data will be disaggregated by gender and age. Activities will include:

• Mobility Tracking Assessments to quantify, in each area, the presence of displaced populations, the reasons and duration of their displacement, and their related needs. 
• Emergency Event Tracking to collect and verify information related to displacements caused by shocks. 
• Climate Vulnerability Assessments highlighting the impact of drought, land degradation on livelihoods and displacement patterns, informing targeted assistance and preparedness efforts.
• Early Warning Flash Alerts to report on specific incidents that trigger sudden displacement including fire, flooding and other risks.
• Registration operations to collect IDP biographic data in collective settlements to facilitate assistance at the household level.
• Surveys to understand the priority needs of IDPs, their perceptions and intentions vis-a-vis durable solutions.
• Stability Index in return and (re)integration areas to facilitate data-driven stabilization programming, by identifying stability gaps and opportunities and catalyzing coordinated responses.
• Data collection for health to enable evidence-based disease outbreak preparedness and response, especially among mobile populations and border communities. 
   

As the co-lead agency of the CCCM Cluster, IOM will maintain a strong response for IDPs living in collective settlements, to improve their quality of life  while seeking and advocating for durable solutions. CCCM interventions will include:

• Site management services comprising the establishment and training of site governance structures, meaningful participation of all groups and two-way communication, managing complaint and feedback mechanisms, coordinating and monitoring the delivery of services and advocating for gaps and managing spatial aspects, including to mitigate risks, against set standards. 
• Site coordination including advocacy, capacity strengthening, information management on IDP populations and sites, in the 75+ sites IOM manages, and under the CCCM Cluster for all sites, in coordination with UNHCR, in addition to co-coordinating the overall camp response.   
• Support to Government entities in their role as site administrators (on security, securing land tenure, providing civil documentation, maintaining the civilian character of sites, resolving conflicts and leading the organization of camp elections). 
• Site planning and site development, for which IOM will strategically layout, set up and reorganize sites to ensure optimal, safe and dignified use of space and resources, promoting accessibility, while ensuring that housing, land, and property issues are duly addressed. 
• Capacity strengthening support on planning and executing mass evacuations for the rollout of the latest Comprehensive Guide for Planning Mass Evacuations in Natural Disasters (MEND Guide).  
   

IOM will continue to implement context-specific shelter interventions in displacement sites, host communities, and areas of return/resettlement to ensure populations will have dignified, safe and accessible hosting solutions and minimize health- and protection-related risks. Interventions will be done in-kind or through cash, in a participatory manner.  Activities will include:

• Following site planning interventions, distribution and support to the construction of emergency shelters to host displaced households in IDP sites, by recruiting and training workers from the sites. 
• Assist host families receiving IDP households to provide them with decent living space. 
• Support the construction of houses in return or relocation areas, in line with durable solutions programming.  
• Distribution of lightweight shelter kits to newly displaced households, those who were never assisted or those living in overcrowded sites, as well as non-food items (NFI), which will provide essential items necessary for daily life, ensuring that displaced families can maintain a minimum standard of living.
• Construction of community hangars and community kitchens in IDP sites.
   

IOM will continue reinforcing access to quality and safe WASH services for conflict- and disaster-affected populations, as well as tackling the risk of outbreaks and water-borne diseases and improving hygiene practices in sites, host communities, areas of relocation/return, and communities facing epidemics. WASH interventions, which will integrate protection and GBV mitigation measures and promote accessibility, will include:

• Construction and rehabilitation of latrines, handwashing stations, showers, female-only bathing and washing areas and water sources/points. Support will also be provided to WASH committees to ensure the maintenance of constructed infrastructure. IOM will also ensure the WASH areas are lit to increase the safety of site residents, particularly women.
• Distribution of menstrual hygiene management kits to ensure that displaced women and girls can manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity.
• Hygiene promotion activities in sites and host communities based on a thorough understanding of local hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices to minimize risks of waterborne diseases.
• Provision of WASH support in health facilities (provision of hygiene kits, construction of handwashing stations and latrines), and at health screening points (points of entry and points of control).
   

In a context marked by extreme violence and frequent human rights violations, IOM will contribute to the protection response, through various activities, both transversal and specialized, including:

• Community-based protection activities, notably engaging community leaders, and for groups with specific needs (including for disability inclusion and accessibility) in sites and support to those in need of specialized services to access them. 
• While prioritizing mitigation of GBV risks through capacity strengthening, awareness-raising, conducting safety audits, the empowerment of women and girls or the distribution of dignity kits, support to collective GBV response and prevention efforts.
• Expansion of IOM’s counter-trafficking portfolio to crisis settings by supporting the deployment of essential services, raising awareness among at-risk communities, and strengthening the capacity of key partners.
• Protect and assist migrants vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and abuse, including through medical and psychosocial support. 
• Facilitation of safe, dignified, and rights-based returns, along with support to sustainable reintegration for migrants affected by crises into their countries of origin or third countries.  

IOM will continue to support livelihoods and economic recovery in displacement sites and areas of return and reintegration for IDPs, returnees, ex-combatants and host communities. Programming in return areas will be aligned with the durable solutions approach for IDPs and conflict-affected communities, following IOM's Progressive Resolution of Displacement Situations (PRDS) Framework, particularly its third pillar on promoting access to sustainable livelihoods for a broader and more inclusive approach.

• Increased access to livelihoods through various interventions including labour market assessments, vocational training and distribution of productive assets and support to local structures (associations and cooperatives of beneficiaries, etc.) providing livelihood opportunities, with a focus on women.   
• Promotion of early economic recovery and strengthening value chains through the implementation of cash-for-work initiatives to build communities infrastructures (bridges, rural roads, clinics, community centres, etc.), creation of economic cooperatives, rehabilitation of agricultural feeder roads and markets, support to agricultural processing initiatives, reinforcing local markets, creating village loans and savings organizations and improving access to micro-credit.

The risk of disease outbreaks in conflict-affected areas remains high due to factors such as lack of safe water, malnutrition, overcrowded and unsanitary living conditions, and limited access to essential health services. IOM’s response includes: 

• Mass and routine vaccination and risk communication to boost acceptability and uptake of health services among IDPs and migrants.
• Continued community-based surveillance through training of health workers, mass screening activities, etc. 
• Continued risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities on Mpox and other infectious diseases to highly mobile populations and cross-border communities.
• Mainstreaming sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including services for survivors of GBV. 
• Enhancement of frontline worker skills through training on disease surveillance. 
• Improved data-sharing coordination between DRC and neighbouring countries. 
• Strengthening partnerships and referral mechanisms between points of entry (PoEs) and health facilities through training health workers and border officials on standard operating procedures (SOPs) to identify and manage ill travellers and a robust health information system. 
• Improvement of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures with safe water and sanitation in health facilities in coordination with WASH teams.
• Providing technical support to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to strengthen prevention, detection and response to communicable disease at PoE and mobility pathway,
• Boosting public health services for migrants by training health personnel, rehabilitating facilities, and supplying essential medical equipment and IPC supplies. This will enhance the national border health agency’s capacities, 
• Establishment of a migration health desk within the Ministry of Public Health,
• Training to border officials at prioritized PoEs on surveillance and IPC measures
• Population mobility mapping, research, flow monitoring, and epidemiological surveillance to prevent, prepare for and response to disease outbreaks.
• Strengthening border health capacity at PoE through supporting screening, IPC measures, and RCCE to support communicable disease preparedness and response, particularly for mpox, Ebola, and cholera, focusing on epidemic prevention and monitoring along key mobility routes and in IDP camps.
• Provision of technical support for the development and implementation of mobility-sensitive and inclusive policies, strategies, and legal frameworks.
• Support to the Technical Working Group (TWG) and MoH to develop SOPs and guidelines on cross-border coordination
   

IOM DRC will use a holistic approach to contribute to long-term community stabilization and development. This will be based on community-based planning mechanisms, the implementation of democratic dialogue, establishment of inclusive and participatory local governance mechanisms, as well as the restoration of state authority and basic social services. Activities are closely coordinated with peacebuilding, livelihood and development programming in alignment with the Strategy of Disarmament, Demobilization, and Recovery, Community and Stabilization Programme (P-DDRCS) of the Congolese government. The strategic components of IOM programming include:

• Implementation of community-based planning processes to determine priority infrastructures to rehabilitate under the livelihood and economic development programming.
• Promoting social cohesion through intra- and inter-community events and activities aimed at strengthening peaceful coexistence such as community dialogues, theatres and sports events.
• Building confidence and mutual trust between governmental authorities and the Congolese population by promoting inclusive and participatory local security governance mechanisms.
   

In 2025, IOM will implement MHPSS projects to support its emergency initiatives in IDP camps and host communities, as well as stabilization programs in communities recovering from crises and displacement. These initiatives will encompass multilayered MHPSS services including the following: 

• Awareness campaigns through radio programmes, social media platforms, public events and celebrations, enduring resilience and creative solutions to overcome isolation, suffering and stigma.
• Enhancing community-based psychosocial support and fostering social cohesion through socio-relational and cultural activities.
• Focused psychosocial support provided to groups, individuals or family-based 
• Referral of severe mental health cases to the closest mental health care facilities. 
• Tailored MHPSS for survivors of gender-based violence, persons with disabilities, and former combatants to assist in the reintegration of the most vulnerable members of the community while addressing stigma and isolation.
• Provision of MHPSS activities in combination with livelihood initiatives to reinforce social cohesion between host communities and former combatants, as well as displaced and returnee populations.
• Technical and operational assistance (trainings, vaccines, etc.) to the National Programme for Mental Health (PNSM in French) to decentralize MHPSS services, facilitation of capacity strengthening of health professionals, coordination of service  providers, (e.g. participating in MHPSS TWG) drafting and enacting MHPSS national policies and operational standards.
• Training for front-line service providers on basic MHPSS principles and skills including good communication, psychological first aid (PFA) and self-care.
   

Building on IOM’s durable solutions approach and community stabilization initiatives, IOM plans to enhance its disarmament, demobilization, reintegration reconciliation, and resettlement (DD/RRR) programmes. These efforts will follow a community-based framework aligned with the DRC Government's P-DDRCS strategies at the national and provincial levels. The programme will encompass:

• Empowerment of communities to manage local conflicts by strengthening community capacities and establishing mechanisms for early conflict warning, prevention, and resolution. 
• Execution of the rehabilitation or construction of crucial community infrastructure using cash-for-work methodologies to promote early economic recovery and social reintegration in conflict-affected areas.
• Support to the operationalization of transitional justice mechanisms, including the Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Commissions, to support symbolic reparation for victims and guarantee non-repetition in order to contribute to peacebuilding.
• Comprehensive socioeconomic reintegration support rooted in community needs for ex-combatants, their dependents, and communities of return and (re)integration.
• Assistance in the voluntary repatriation and resettlement of foreign ex-combatants and their families.
• Support to coordination mechanisms at provincial, national, and regional levels to ensure effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of community-based reintegration of ex-combatants and their families according to the UN Integrated DDR Standards (IDDRS).   
• Providing support for social (re)integration activities like public information campaigns and efforts to strengthen community social cohesion, in coordination with peacebuilding components.
• Informed by the regularly updated DTM Stability Index, efficient HDPN coordination and data-driven programming tailored to local priorities and needs.
   

IOM will continue to implement community engagement and policing projects to enhance collaboration between communities and law enforcement. This approach aims to strengthen trust in the police, improve community security, and ensure that natural resources, particularly in mining areas, are managed safely while incorporating climate considerations, through the actions of the mining police. IOM actions will consist of: 

• Training police officers on the approach of proximity policing and of mining policing following a human rights due diligence process (HRDDP) assessment of all trained units. Mining policing training will include the topic of climate, and the possible impact on mines and communities in/around mining sites.
• Training police officers in emergency medical first aid.
• Building and equipping police stations and sub-stations 
• Provision of office and mobility equipment to facilitate the interventions of police officers 
• Establishing local security committees and neighborhood forums to enhance community participation in safety and crime prevention.
   

IOM will enhance adaptative evidence-based policies and reduce migration risks related to climate change, environmental degradation, and natural hazards. Key actions include:

• Conducting studies on migration, environment, and climate change, and mapping disaster risk.
• Support to Government commitments in the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on migration, environment, and climate change   .
• Incorporation of climate migration into provincial development plans and the national adaptation strategy.
• Development of strategies to mitigate conflicts from transhumance   movements affecting the climate and environment.
• Support to the development of government and non-government partners’ preparedness capacity in humanitarian response and assisting vulnerable populations who are likely to be severely affected by the impact of disasters and crises. IOM’s initiatives will include:
  • Providing training on disaster risk reduction (DRR) to crisis-affected communities in line with CCCM and evacuation, shelter response and recovery programmes including the Mass Evacuation in Natural Disasters (MEND) training.
  • Strengthening the capacity of government officials at the national and sub-national levels on disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation.
  • Supporting the drafting, reviewing and updating of local policies on disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation plans considering mobility dimensions through the provision of training, equipment and tools.
  • Conducting awareness and advocacy work on policies and research findings related to climate change adaptation in DRC.
  • Conducting consultations with communities vulnerable to climate risk and mobility to develop community action plans that identify localized climate adaptation strategies and provide technical assistance to implement these plans.

As displacement and cross-border movements continue due to conflict, instability, and environmental shocks, IOM will focus on enhancing safe, regular, and protection-sensitive migration pathways for crisis-affected populations. This includes supporting policies and programs that facilitate access to legal migration channels, prevent irregular migration risks, and improve cross-border coordination for populations on the move.

Key actions will include:

• Strengthening policy frameworks to integrate displacement and crisis-related mobility needs into national and regional migration governance, ensuring that humanitarian mobility concerns are reflected in legal pathways and migration agreements.
• Supporting the development of mobility-sensitive public health systems to facilitate cross-border movement for displaced populations, ensuring that migrants and returnees can safely access health services in line with public health priorities.
• Advocating for inclusive migration policies that enable access to regular pathways for crisis-affected populations, including those displaced by conflict or environmental factors.
• Enhancing coordination with regional and cross-border mechanisms to ensure displaced populations and migrants have safe and regulated mobility options while reducing protection risks associated with irregular migration.