Conflict-Fueled Deforestation: A Crisis in Kibati

In Kibati, Democratic Republic of Congo, conflict has driven deforestation to unprecedented levels. Under pressure from displacement and insecurity, local residents and displaced populations are heavily reliant on logging and charcoal production, further threatening Virunga National Park's biodiversity.

In Kibati, Democratic Republic of Congo, conflict has fueled deforestation to unprecedented levels. Under the denuded slopes of Mount Nyiragongo volcano, traders barter over sacks of charcoal. The ongoing conflict has pushed deforestation to new heights, according to the United Nations.

Motorbikes loaded with freshly cut planks zip down the main road of Kibati, controlled by the Congolese army despite a two-year insurgency by the M23 militia. Displaced by the fighting, more than 1.7 million people are relying on charcoal production to feed their families. 'In the camp, we're dying of hunger. We've decided to make charcoal to feed our children,' said Jacques Muzayi, a displaced vendor.

The conflict has exacerbated pressure on the region's once-dense forests and Virunga National Park, home to many of the world's last mountain gorillas. 'There used to be a forest here,' said Bantu Lukambo, head of a local environmental organization.