With the recent outbreak of fighting between
Rwandan and Ugandan military forces in Kisingani, DRC, MSF has had to halt
all activites in the region and the six MSF expats stationed in the city
have taken shelter in a 'saferoom'. The civilian population of Kisingani
has been forced to seek shelter from the fighting wherever possible.
Despite the numerous declared ceasefires,
continuous fighting has taken place between Ugandan and Rwandan troops
in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo, since 5 June. The MSF
expat teams there have taken shelter in a specially prepared room which
has been designed to provide maximum safety to its occupants.
Kisingani is a civilian-populated city and weapons used in the fighting have ranged from small arms fire to heavier artillery.
The broken ceasefire has made it impossible for the MSF staff to leave the saferoom to continue their ongoing nutrition programs or to provide emergency assistance. However they are all safe and well.
When the fighting first started, MSF expats and national staff alike took refuge in their homes. The six expats, who were in several locations when the fighting began, have taken refuge together in the saferoom.
On June 5, MSF staff left the shelter during a short lull in the fighting, in order to retrieve an MSF vehicle in a nearby feeding center. En route they saw five dead civilians. The danger of leaving shelter has prevented further exploration or intervention.
Currently, there is no electricity in Kisangani. The service was interrupted when fighting broke out. MSF has two generators to provide limited power. This possibility is not available to the population of Kisangani (500,000) which is also without water when there is no electricity.
This makes the potential for an epidemic of water borne diseases eminent.
MSF has planes on stand by in Goma for an evacuation. However it is impossible to access the staff as long as active fighting continues. There is regular contact with the teams.
The ICRC is also waiting for the opportunity to land a plane in Kisangani and MSF may have the opportunity to make use of that transport. There are a variety of channels available to contact the teams to ensure that all parties are aware of developments.
The shelter is a specially reinforced room measuring approximately 2mx3m. Its construction used recommendations by the ICRC for secure locations during active fighting.