25,000 DISPLACED PERSONS AT RISK, AS MILITARY EFFORTS TO DISARM MILITIAS

IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BLOCK HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

BUNIA/NEW YORK, 19 April (OCHA) -- Despite tremendous efforts by humanitarians to tackle a cholera epidemic that broke out in camps for the displaced towards the end of March in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the situation is likely to worsen in the Tché camp, where the lives of about 25,000 people are at risk because aid workers have been unable to gain access for more than a week, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported today.

Tché, which is situated about 61 kilometres north-east of Bunia, had recorded 165 cases of cholera with four deaths before the area became inaccessible.  The disease is still rampant in other camps like Tchomia and Kafé, infecting an average of about 20 people every day.  Since the cholera outbreak on 26 March, the disease has affected 1,420 people and claimed the lives of 29 others, including three Congolese soldiers deployed to secure the internally displaced persons camp at Kafé.

“In addition to the cholera epidemic, which is likely to get out of hand in the absence of continuous follow-up in Tché, the internally displaced persons will soon run out of food, water and medical supplies, making their situation even more complex in the face of an already volatile humanitarian situation”, said Dr. Modibo Traoré, who OCHA field Office in Bunia.  “Due to the present volatile security situation north of Bunia, ongoing military operations to disarm recalcitrant militia groups and threats by the latter to expatriates, non-governmental organizations are strongly advised to avoid the said area until further notice”, Dr. Traoré stressed.

The Bunia area has seen sustained militia activity, especially along the Iga Barrière -- Katoto route, where peacekeepers of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and Congolese troops have been making efforts to forcefully disarm militiamen still wreaking havoc on innocent civilians in DjuguTerritory.  According to Dr. Traoré, MONUC has expressed its willingness to set up a mechanism that would give humanitarians safe passage to and from operational areas.  Although the situation is critical, the commitment of humanitarian workers has so far kept the epidemic under control.  However, that control is extremely fragile and without concerted efforts, the crisis will intensify.

Contact: Stephanie Bunker, Advocacy & External Relations Section - OCHA Room S-3628A, e-mail:  bunker@un.org, tel.:  917 367-5126, mobile:  917 892-1679, fax:  212 963-1312.

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