- Since December 2006 : 437,000 (Mainly in Rutshuru and Masisi districts)

- Total estimated number for entire North Kivu : 800,000

SECURITY AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

- No major security incidents were reported this week.

- The situation in Rutshuru town has calmed down after many days of tensions due to the Youth Committee's demonstrations.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Alarming situations / Early warning

Access: no improvement on the Sake-Masisi road. About 15 humanitarian trucks were stuck this week in Kizuma (15km from Masisi town), some for 48 hours. Due to the danger of being stuck in that insecure area some organisations are temporarily suspending their activities in Masisi zone. If the road is not quickly fixed humanitarian assistance could be paralysed. Some health and nutrition INGOs in that zone are already facing shortage of medicine and food, waiting for a re-supply. Even though medicine and food are available in Goma the conditions of that road hamper their delivery.

Protection - Exactions: the security around the IDPS sites in Masisi area has not improved yet despite advocacy initiatives with MONUC (for an increase in the number of patrols in that zone), FARDC Commander and local authorities. Strong discontent among IDPs regarding this security situation (many exactions, extortions and forced labour are reported) and the lack of food created significant tensions within the sites.

Humanitarian assistance

Protection: the INGO Save the Children UK identified more than 70 children associated with armed groups and forces during last week. They all have been hosted by provisional families.

IDPs: UNHCR, UNICEF, OCHA and the Provincial authorities identified a new site where IDPs settled in public buildings in Rusthuru town could potentially be transferred to. Two other IDPs sites in Rutshuru area (Nyongera and Kasasa) where water and sanitation conditions are alarming could also be transferred to this new identified site.

Food security: the food distribution in two IDPs camps (Mugunga I and II) around Goma was completed by WFP/Caritas without incidents. Food distribution is ongoing in two other IDPs camps (Bulengo and Buhimba). WFP resumed its school feeding programmes in Rutshuru territory. Due to security incidents in Rutshuru town end of February the UN agency suspended its food activities (except for nutritional programmes). WFP/Première Urgence started food distribution in Nyanzale area (West Rutshuru territory) for about 10,000 IDPs.

Education: UNICEF and governmental supported-'CRS' ('Centre de Rattrapage Scolaire' - Catch Up Centres) are now providing access to education for 3,550 out-of-school and dropout adolescents in 18 CRS in Rutshuru, Masisi and Goma territories. Among them, 60% or 2,142 children are IDPs. Especially among 10 new CRS located in high IDP concentration areas, among 2,062 children studying, 76% or 1,559 children are IDPs.

UNICEF funded Alpha Ujuvi's Mobile Teacher Support Team started the distribution of school kits to 3,235 newly arrived IDP children in Rutshuru, Mugunga (15km of Goma) and Minova (South Kivu).

70 teachers, both displaced and in host schools, started training with UNICEF funded Mobile Teacher Support Team project with the INGO AVSI in Rutshuru and Goma (Mugunga area). This is the last training of that project. With this update, the project had trained a total of 518 teachers (275 by the INGO AVSI and 243 by the local NGO Alpha Ujuvi) to benefit 25,900 children in high IDP concentrated areas of Goma, Masisi and Rutshuru.

UNICEF/Solidarités built 10 emergency classrooms and completed school (1,800) and teacher (6) kits distribution in Nyanzale area (West Rutshuru territory).

Water and sanitation: UNICEF/Solidarités completed the construction of 100 latrines in the two IDPs sites in Kitchanga (North East Masisi territory). Sensitization about hygiene for IDPs has also been carried out.

Contacts:

Patrick Lavand'homme, Head of Office, Goma (North Kivu), OCHA-DR Congo
Email: lavandhomme@un.org

Caroline Draveny, Public Information Officer (North Kivu), OCHA-DR Congo
Email: draveny@un.org
Tel: +243 (0) 819 889 157

Louis-Etienne Vigneault, Public Information Officer (Kinshasa), OCHA-DR Congo
Email : vigneaultl@un.org
Tel : +243 (0) 819 889 165