DR Congo: OCHA Humanitarian Situation Update No. 11 - North Kivu, 12 Nov 2008

Political and Security Context

- The situation remained calm in the "Petit Nord".

- On 11 November, lootings were reported by NGO personnel in Kanya. The looters stole mobile phones and money.

- Intensification of joint FARDC-PNC-MONUC patrols.

Population Movements

Grand Nord

- Following the FARDC looting along the Kanyabayonga-Lubero axis, the chief of the locality of Kirumba held a public meeting in the afternoon on 11 November to ask the residents who fled to return to their homes.

- IDPs fleeing Kaseghe, Mighobwe and Kirumba towards Lubero sought refuge in the nearby forests due to acts of violence by FARDC along the main road to Lubero. Some of these IDPs managed to reach Lubero on the evening of 11 November. Their registration is under way.

- Solidarities / RRM will review the number of newly displaced persons who settled in the areas of Eringti and Lubero. These IDPs arrived from Irumu (Ituri) and Rutshuru respectively.

Minova (South-Kivu)

- The total number of IDPs in Minova region was estimated between 15 and 16.000. While there had been no new IDPs registered in Minova for several months, new IDPs continue to arrive. IRC / RRM, World Vision and ICRC will start registration activities next week.

Goma

- Due to the difficulty of acquiring reliable figures on IDPs, humanitarians met with the Mayor who provided them with a provisional list of 755 families (3655 persons), prepared by CARE international and verified by his services. Verifications are ongoing.

- NRC, UNHCR and OCHA are working on the transfer of these IDPs to 4 sites: Mugunga I and II, Bulengo and Buhimba which, according to NRC, have about 2 000 vacancies. This transfer will vacate schools currently occupied by IDPs and facilitate the delivery of assistance.

Gaps

Nutrition

- The therapeutical nutritional center, supported by LWF in Kayna was not affected by the FARDC lootings on the evening of 10 November. Nevertheless, LWF said that their food stocks are exhausted while sick children are still in the center and others continue to arrive.

Logistics

- It is necessary to rehabilitate the road which leads to the Kibati II site in order to facilitate the access of the vehicles of humanitarian partners.

Assistance

Health

- UNFPA has delivered to the general hospital of Goma intra-uterine implements for 30 000 persons, equipments and drugs for obstetrical emergencies for 150 000 persons; equipment for rape victims as well as of condoms and other reproductive health supplies.

- On Saturday, WHO expects 30 tons of drugs and other supplies from Italy in order to respond to the recent spread of cholera, increase sanitation activities, and provide drinking water, food and healthcare.

Logistics

- The Inter-agency Logistics Service (ILS), recommends the humanitarian community to charter their freights via Entebbe and/or Kigali to Goma. The transport of cargo between Kinshasa and the East remains difficult.- The first UNHAS flight is scheduled for Friday, 14 November from Kinshasa to Goma or Kinshasa to Bukavu, depending on the security situation in Goma at the time. The users are invited to fill the reservation form available on http://www.logcluster.org/drc/.

- Additional warehouses were identified in the city of Beni, including a place for the possible establishment of a logistical hub.

- The flight rotations of the C-130 of the Belgian army are ongoing. Four out of ten expected rotations have been performed; the remaining six will be organized in days to come. NGO MEMISA is the focal point for this operation.

Watsan

- ICRC provided water (70 m =B3) to the population around Kanyarutshinya and Munigi. They are working in collaboration with volunteers from the Congolese Red Cross, by cleaning of the latrines in public sites (schools, churches, etc).

Response in Kibati

Health

• The vaccination campaign against the measles resumed today. According to recommendations from health partners, antipoliomyelitis monovalent vaccines were incorporated, as well as the supply of vitamin A and mébendazole. A case of poliomyelitis was detected among the displaced in April of this year. In total, 13 000 children from 6 to 59 months are targeted by this campaign.
• UNFPA, in collaboration with IMC, provided drugs for victims of sexual violence.
• UNFPA delayed the provision of 203 delivery kits for pregnant women and another 450 to IMC.
• The NGO GAD is working on sensitization and prevention of HIV.

Watsan

• Mercy Corps and UNHCR provided water in and around Kibati using 6 water bladders of 20 m =B3. Daily consumption has risen from 60 to 300 m =B3 (300 000 liters).

- Shelters and NFI

• DFID has delivered NFI intended for urgent distribution. UNHCR has, in its warehouses, 5 300 kitchen kits and 1 400 mattresses. These will be delivered during the NFI distribution in Kibati.

The sixth mobile warehouse was assembled on Monday. About 1 200 persons were transfered there.

- Protection

• According to UNICEF, there are 152 unaccompanied children in the Kibati.
• As stated in the 11 November Situation Report, the security of IDPs in the camps of Kibati is worrying. The Protection Cluster requested a meeting with General Mayala, Commander of the 8th Military Region (Nord-Kivu), to discuss the matter.
• IRC continues the distribution of firewood for IDPs outside the IDP site, while Mercy Corps distributes inside. UNHCR stressed that this distribution to vulnerable persons diminishes the risk incurred women when searching for wood outside the camps. Last Friday, a 10-year-old girl was raped by FARDC elements while collecting wood outside the site. The girl is being treated at the IMC clinic.
• UNHCR signed three agreements with Alpha Ujubvi, SAJ and EVA to implement sensitization campaigns on judicial matters and health issues to assist victims of sexual violence. The sensitization campaign will cover all sites around Goma, including Kibati.

Missions

- Oxfam-GB assessed water and sanitation needs in Kibati.

- A joint HCR / NRC Mission in Mugunga is to make a quick appraisal of situation.

- ICRC went to Kitchanga.

For more information, visit our humanitarian website: http://www.rdc-humanitaire.net

- Christophe Illemassene, Public Information and Advocacy Manager, OCHA RDC, illemassene@un.org, Tél.: +243 819 889 195

- Noel Tsekouras, Desk Officer OCHA New York, tsekouras@un.org, Tél.: + 1 917 367 93 67