The United Nations has expressed outrage following the death of a UNICEF employee in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Karine Buisset, a French aid worker, was killed in a drone strike targeting a building housing humanitarian personnel.
According to residents and the M23 rebel group , several airstrikes hit the Lake Kivu area and a residence near the home of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila . The rebel group accuses the Congolese government of being responsible for the attack. Authorities have not yet responded to these accusations.
Speaking in New York, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric , reiterated that humanitarian workers must never be targeted. He also emphasized that Karine Buisset was a dedicated humanitarian who worked to support children and families affected by the conflict.
The United Nations and UNICEF have offered their condolences to his family, loved ones and colleagues.
The attack comes amid ongoing violence against humanitarian workers in the DRC. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( OCHA ), Karine Buisset is the second humanitarian worker killed in the country since the beginning of the year .
Since January, at least 92 incidents targeting humanitarian workers have been reported across the DRC. In 2025, more than 650 such incidents were recorded, resulting in 13 deaths and 41 injuries among humanitarian workers, particularly in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika and Maniema .
After the strike, UN peacekeepers from the UN mission in the DRC ( MONUSCO ) intervened to provide emergency assistance and conduct an initial assessment of the situation.
