On 1 June, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been forced to leave their homes due to the continuing conflict. This massive displacement of people took place primarily in the Rutshuru Territory, where the fighting between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23 fighters are incessant. Concerning this critical situation, Raphaël Ténaud, the head of the ICRC’s sub delegation in Goma, underlined the consequences on civilians, by stating that “On the road between Rutshuru and Goma, thousands of people can be seen fleeing on foot or by motorcycle. Some villagers have fled together with their livestock, which in many cases are their only means of subsistence”.
Moreover, as a consequence of this unstable scenario, particularly near a site in Rugari where ICRC operated, the organization was obliged to interrupt the distribution of food in that area at the end of May. In order to deal with the situation, ICRC is urging all fighters to take every precaution to not harm civilians and to allow the Red Cross personnel to provide them help. The role of the organization in this moment has become critical, as living conditions in the temporary camps are very harsh as more displaced persons arrive.
Overall, ICRC is making continuous efforts to protect civilians in the country and to assure them medical care and basic necessities; to make this possible, the organization is struggling to allow its personnel to safely access the main areas affected by the conflict.
To read more, visit:
- https://www.icrc.org/en/document/eastern-democratic-republic-congo-drc-surge-violence-has-driven-thousands-displaced-people
- https://www.internal-displacement.org/countries/democratic-republic-of-the-congo
- https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/democratic-republic-congo-regional-refugee-response-plan-january-3
by Alexia Tenneriello
