In Beni, eastern DR Congo, families from the Indigenous Pygmy community are living in extreme hardship after fleeing rebel violence. Since May 2026, they have found refuge in Boikene, far from their forests and traditional means of subsistence. But they are struggling to survive and hoping to one day return home.
In Boikene, in the northern part of Beni, the nights are long. Under makeshift shelters, families from the indigenous Pygmy community try to sleep on the ground.
There are no proper homes here, few blankets and almost no protection from the elements.
These families fled their homes in May 2026 following attacks attributed to rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces in the Ndandi area. They left behind their homes, fields and, above all, their forest, which played a central role in their daily lives.
For these families, the forest was not simply a place to live. It was also a source of food and income through hunting, gathering and other traditional activities.
