Immediate action needed to help Congo people says UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),has warned that the ongoing violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reached alarming levels.

Two years of cyclical conflict in the Rutshuru and Masisi regions of North Kivu have forced more than 1.3 million people to flee their homes in the DRC, resulting in the internal displacement of a total of 5.7 million people in North Kivu, South Kivu regions. and Ituri.

Since the riots broke out on February 7 in the town of Sake, in the Masisi region, nearly 300,000 people have arrived in and around Goma town, unknowingly multiplying where the authorities are escape as they desperately seek protection from pointless bombs and other human rights. violation of the law.

The situation is dire as the growing need for shelter, sanitation and livelihoods exceeds what is available. Another 85,000 fled the violence and fled to the Minova region of South Kivu. As of January, the city of Minova has already hosted more than 156,000 displaced people, most of whom live in shelters. The very worrying pattern of using heavy artillery in the conflict continues with reports of bomb attacks targeting civilian sites in Minova.

On March 20, an explosion at the mall killed a displaced woman and wounded at least three others, including two children. News of the indiscriminate bombings in Saké and Goma in recent weeks, which have killed more than 30 people and injured at least 80 others, are also worrying, as is the fear of an emergency without explosion.

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UNHCR has come and emphasized the importance of protecting civilians and the the lives of the people in displaced areas. Families continue to come to the site distraught and distraught by the attack, shocked and emotionally drained.

Many report being harassed – some sexually – while on the plane. Newcomers find refuge in shelters in overcrowded areas, in schools and churches, or host families, who pose a threat to their property. Worryingly, humanitarian partners have observed systematic incursions by armed groups into civilian structures such as displacement sites, hospitals and health centers.

In 2023, 25 schools were occupied by non-state armed groups in Masisi and Rutshuru territories alone, and a further 17 schools were attacked.

In 2024, a bomb destroyed seven schools. The looting of medicines and essential supplies from health facilities in recent weeks has strained aid workers to support the displaced. Hundreds of thousands of people have been identified as displaced after the war in Masisi, Rutshuru and Nyiragongo regions, cut off aid.

The increase in violence means that many children have fled their homes and many are now unaccompanied and exposed to greater risks and violations, including kidnapping, forced labor, extortion and rape.

In 2023, in North Kivu alone, 50,159 victims of gender-based violence, more than half of them rape; 90 percent of the victims are women and girls, while 37 percent are children. UNHCR’s assistance to survivors of sexual abuse includes psychosocial support and referrals to medical aid, as well as working with displaced men.

As the violence continues and restricts people’s access, the risks to displaced people and civilians increase. UNHCR calls for an immediate end to the violence and urges all parties to the conflict to respect international human rights law, and to protect civilians.

A strong humanitarian response in the eastern region between June and December 2023 helped save more than 3.1 million lives. UNHCR, together with its partners, has provided emergency shelter to more than 40,000 of the most vulnerable people arriving in Goma.

The distribution of more than 3,600 kits of essential items and 1,000 tarpaulins helped improve people’s daily lives outside the planned sites. But this affected only a small part of those who wanted it.

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UNHCR continues to work hard to support the victims in eastern DRC and urgently calls for international cooperation to solve the crisis.

UNHCR has received only 14 percent of the $250 million required for its response to the DRC in 2024. Lack of funding threatens the delivery of aid, exacerbating the severe humanitarian crisis facing the region.