[Impact of war on civilian population health. Republic of the Congo, December 1998-February 2000].

Congo Brazzaville was racked by civil war between 1998 and 2000. Fighting forced a large part of the population to flee from the capital, Brazzaville. Starting in 1999 many people began coming back to the city in dire physical and psychological condition. With little or no press coverage, this return went largely unnoticed by the general public. Volunteers from Médecins Sans Frontières were present not only to provide assistance and care to these war victims but also as to bear witness so that this tragedy should not be forgotten. By means of epidemiological surveys in the field, workers were able to paint a "picture of suffering" and to document the violence and deprivation inflicted mainly on the civilian population. This article summarizes the findings of this investigation.