Attachments
Since 30 March, fighting has significantly subsided in Rutshuru territory, 48 hours after the latest bout of violence broke out between the Congolese army and suspected M23 fighters. The fighting pushed thousands of civilians to seek safety across Rutshuru, while others crossed the border into Uganda.
Recent reports from local actors and protection monitoring partners estimate that as many as 36,000 people have been displaced across Rutshuru territory, while more than 10,000 others fled to Uganda. Some have been placed in transit centres and are already being assisted with food and protection. At the same time, there are also reports of hundreds of people who have started to head back home, following a call from local authorities inviting inhabitants to return home given the withdrawal of the armed men.
Humanitarian partners are ready to aid the displaced and returnees as soon as the security situation allows. The most pressing needs are: protection, food, and essential household items.
OCHA and humanitarian partners (UN agencies and NGOs) are working to identify specific needs and existing response capacity. Humanitarian actors are due to meet tomorrow 1 April to assess the situation and map out actions to be undertaken. The current constraints are related to the evolution of the security situation in the area, which remains unstable.
For more information, please contact
Yvon Edoumou, Public Information Officer, +243819889136, edoumou@un.org
Information products on the humanitarian situation in DRC are available on www.humanitarianresponse.info or www.reliefweb.int
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.