Humanitarian crisis deepens as violence escalates in DRC

The humanitarian crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is fast deteriorating as violence intensifies, forcing tens of thousands to flee to neighboring countries, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported on Friday.

According to the UNHCR, over 40,000 Congolese nationals -- the majority women and children -- have arrived in Burundi since February, seeking international protection.

The UN refugee agency and its partners are scaling up efforts to provide food and shelter to the new arrivals.

At a Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Bintou Keita, Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), highlighted the severe impacts of the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group offensives in North and South Kivu on civilian safety and security.

"The M23 offensives in north Kivu and south Kivu have increased the vulnerability of girls and women to conflict sexual violence. Mass displacement, the influx of combatants and prisoners, and the proliferation of weapons have considerately exacerbated the risks. At the same time, logistical and security constraints continue to hamper the United Nations' ability to verify reported cases," said Keita.

In the midst of troubling news, a sliver of hope has appeared.

According to the DRC Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization has been granted permission to deliver humanitarian supplies to Goma via Kenya and Rwanda.

Traffic on Lake Kivu between Bukavu and Goma, two provincial capitals in the eastern DRC, resumed on Tuesday after weeks of suspension due to clashes in Goma. A ferry arrived in Goma, bringing much-needed supplies.

"It's unbelievable, but the ferry between the two cities is finally operational. We've made it to Goma," said Fabrice Kulimushi, a passenger.

"We are facing many challenges. The situation is very unstable, but luckily, medical staff are still providing treatment in medical facilities," said Alexis Bulonza, a local humanitarian agent.

Bruno Lemarquis, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, has called for the resumption of humanitarian flights to expedite the delivery of aid to those affected by the conflict.

The ongoing conflict between the M23 and the DRC government is deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide and long-standing ethnic tensions between the Tutsi and Hutu communities. The DRC accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23, while Rwanda alleges that the DRC army has allied with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a rebel group accused of participating in the genocide against the Tutsi.

Humanitarian crisis deepens as violence escalates in DRC

From everyday objects to fiber-type artificial muscles for robotic actuation, a groundbreaking photopolymerization-based 3D printing technology is playing a role in revolutionizing how we create, representing a fundamental shift from traditional methods and transforming industries and daily life.

Distinct from conventional layer-by-layer material deposition, the new technology employs light as a precision actuator. The process begins with instillation of liquid photopolymer resin that instantly solidifies when exposed to targeted ultraviolet (UV) light, which acts as an "on-off switch" for material formation.

Unlike traditional drying methods that rely on heat and air, UV curing employs specific wavelengths of UV light to achieve rapid and controlled polymerization.

This enables the material to reach its desired mechanical properties in a fraction of the time that other methods might require -- 20 to 100 times faster than traditional 3D printing -- allowing complete products to be created within just two to three hours.

At PollyPolymer -- a high-tech enterprise specializing in ultra-high-speed 3D printing technology based in Suzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province, the technique has been hired to produce customized components, such as elastomer artificial muscles for robots that combine flexibility with durability.

"(This material) can provide shock absorption and protection. Additionally, due to its hollowed-out lattice structure, it can dissipate heat. Of course, another advantage is its lightweight nature, as it is filled with many lattices within the same structure," Wang Wenbin, the company's CEO, introduced.

More importantly, these materials can be pre-programmed and engineered to meet specific structural, elastic and mechanical performance requirements, enabling on-demand and customized manufacturing across multiple industries, Wang said, noting that precision control remains crucial to the process.

"We need very precise control because the light reaction can cause many falsifications such as distortion, leading to a decrease in accuracy. Therefore, we have designed quite a lot of algorithmic compensations in this process. Each printer has a force sensing parameter, which you can think of as a scale that knows the weight in every gram and makes corrections accordingly. Depending on the required scenario, for instance, our highest precision can now reach 2.8 microns," Wang said.

3D printing ushers in new era of instant manufacturing