DR Congo: new armed attacks in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu

An emergency site in the DR Congo An emergency site in the DR Congo UNHCR/Frederic Noy

UNHCR has expressed concern about the escalation of attacks on civilians by non-state armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the last two months more than 200 civilians have been killed in the province of Ituri and more than 2,000 houses have been destroyed and 80 schools demolished or closed.

About 52,000 people, therefore, had to leave their homes, seeking refuge in the neighboring provinces. Of these, at least 35,000 people have taken refuge in the site of Rhoe IDP, where there are several emergency shelters with all essential services but which, at the moment, hosts twice the number of people it could contain.

The last attack took place on 19 January in the camp for internally displaced persons in Plaine Savo, in the province of Ituri. A group of armed men invaded the camp, killing two adults and five children and fleeing about 17,000 people to the nearby town of Bule. At the moment, they are staying in emergency sites - such as schools, churches or markets - but with little means of subsistence. Attacks are also occurring in North Kivu Province, where clashes started again in March 2022, forcing 521,000 people to flee to survive and to avoid being recruited by non-state armed groups.  

In this dramatic situation, the UNHCR continues to provide assistance to displaced people and continues to build new refuge sites. UNHCR also pays particular attention to the most vulnerable, including pregnant and disabled women, helping them to reach the emergency shelters. However, the funds are not enough to guarantee a decent living for the population and other essential services such as education, for example, are put in the background. For this reason, UNHCR is asking for USD 233 million to adequately assist refugees and internally displaced persons in the DRC. At the moment, within the DRC there are about 5.6 million internally displaced and 524,700 refugees.

 

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by Amalia Ranieri

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