AID ACTIVITIES RESUME AS AN UNEASY CALM RETURNS

 

TO ITURI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

BUNIA, 9 March (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- Over 88,000 recently displaced people are now receiving humanitarian assistance in Ituri following the resumption of aid activities in the camps this week.  However, the area remains tense and humanitarians cannot rule out further disruptions to aid activities.

Aid workers returned to Gina on Monday to assess the condition of those seeking shelter there, and planned a rapid return to activities.  This followed the resumption of assistance to the over 21,000 displaced people in the camps in the Tché area over the weekend, after an improvement in security conditions on the road north from Bunia town. 

“The death toll in the camps is back under control” confirmed Modibo Traoré, OCHA’s Head of Office in Bunia.  “However, the situation remains very tense in the area and the risk that vital aid may once again be cut off is very real”, he continued. 

The humanitarian community has seen the number of recently displaced rise from 70,000 to 88,000 over the last two weeks, especially in the Gina area, where the number of people seeking shelter has virtually doubled over the last 10 days.

“There are very likely more people still hiding in the bush”, said Mr. Traoré.  “We are receiving reports of people who are sick or injured but too afraid to seek treatment.  Humanitarians can only help those who can reach the safe areas.”

Aid workers were pleased to note that groups of people sheltering in the Gina area had started to dig their own latrines during the period that aid was suspended.

“These are courageous people, who have suffered enormously over the recent years”, said Mr. Traoré.  “Humanitarians will continue to do everything possible to continue providing them with life-saving assistance despite the tense security situation.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is planning an assessment mission to Tché and Kakwa over the next two days to review the humanitarian situation and to attempt to negotiate for continued access to the recently displaced.

Over 88,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the territory of Djugu since 12 December, when fighting broke out between two militia groups in the area.  Humanitarian organisations suspended assistance to over 54,000 of these people, in the Kakwa, Tché and Gina areas on 28 February due to security concerns.

For further information, please contact:  Rachel Scott Leflaive, Public Information, OCHA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, e-mail:  scottleflaive@un.org, tel.:  +243 81 98 60 444; or Modibo Traoré, Head of OCHA Office, Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, e-mail:  traorem@un.org, tel.:  +243 81 32 75 000.

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