Tens of thousands displaced by fresh violence in DR Congo
The situation particularly worrying in the restive North Kivu province, where 2.8 million people are displaced.
Over the past week, more than 150,000 people have been displaced by ongoing fighting in the town of Lubero and the strategically important town of Kanyabayonga has been captured by M23 rebels.
Situation ‘rapidly deteriorating’
The situation in the capital Goma is “deteriorating rapidly” as it remains cut off from supply routes, IOM reported, adding that residents often face theft, trespassing, abuse and harassment.
“The proximity to the frontline and the presence of weapons in and around the evacuation sites pose a significant risk to the safety of the displaced,” the agency added.
The situation is further complicated by the risk of disasters, including heavy rains, landslides and floods, particularly in South Kivu and Tanganyika, which displaced tens of thousands of people in May.
Attacks on humanitarian workers
This area is also special. dangerous for humanitarians.
On Sunday, an aid convoy was attacked in the town of Butembo, North Kivu, killing two aid workers.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 170 security incidents have directly targeted humanitarian aid workers, leaving at least four dead and 20 injured.
More than a dozen humanitarian aid workers were also kidnapped in the first half of 2024.
Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, condemned the attack and stressed that “humanitarian organizations are not targets, nor are civilians targets”.
“The safety and protection of humanitarian workers must be guaranteed, and the perpetrators of these acts must be identified and brought to justice,” he added.
Need urgent funding
Besides instability, limited resources are also limiting aid efforts.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), The $2.6 billion humanitarian response plan for the DRC is only 26 percent funded, at $669 million.
When fully funded, the Plan will enable UN agencies and humanitarian partners to provide assistance and protection to an estimated 8.7 million of the most vulnerable people.
