Whilst the interim multinational peace-keeping
force sent by the European Union, of which French troops form the backbone,
is currently being deployed in Bunia, in the Ituri province torn apart
by fighting and massacres, the basic humanitarian needs of the populations
who have fled south are extreme.
Between the towns of Beni and Erengeti
(Kivu province), 250 km from Bunia, the humanitarian organisation SOLIDARITES,
which has been working in DR Congo since July 2000, is currently providing
aid to thousands of displaced families who have fled the Ituri region.
These men, women and children, who have survived the most terrible exactions,
are completely destitute and often injured. They desperately need shelter,
safe drinking water, and food ...
Alexandre, our Head of Mission in DR Congo, and his team are working round the clock: 9 drinking water springs are currently being rehabilitated in Beni and Oicha, at a site where 2,000 families have taken refuge. Also in Oicha and the surrounding area, where several unofficial sites have appeared, portable water reservoirs together with distribution ramps have been installed. To meet the needs of 30,000 displaced persons in Erengeti, the chlorination system for the water supply has been reorganised, and 2 reservoirs have been installed. In addition, the SOLIDARITES team has installed a transit camp for 2,000 people at Ndalia, to the north of Erengeti. With the agreement of the United Nations World Food Programme, we have also set up 3 canteens at the Ndalia, Erengeti and Oicha refugee camps.
As from today, we are already preparing the next phases of our emergency action : long-term drinking water supplies for the refugee camps, distribution of food and essential supplies, and finally distribution of seeds to nearly 50,000 displaced persons.
SOLIDARITES, faced with the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Ituri, calls upon the French government, international institutions and private donors, to contribute to and further the humanitarian action which has been engaged in Ituri without delay.
To support SOLIDARITES' emergency humanitarian action in DR Congo, please send your donations to : SOLIDARITES - BP 100 - 75020 Paris.
Press contact: Alain Boinet, Director
- 06 82 59 29 07
Sébastien le Clézio, Communication Manager - 01 43 15 13 13
To find out more, please consult
the special report on our website:
http://www.solidarites.org/NosMissions/rdc.htm