GENEVA, Switzerland: The violence in eastern DR Congo has forced more than 100,000 people to flee to neighbouring countries in just months, the United Nations said on Friday.
“In less than three months, the number of Congolese fleeing to neighbouring countries has surged to over 100,000,” a spokeswoman for the UN’s refugee agency UNHCR said.
Violence has roiled the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for months as the M23 armed group has waged a lightning push over the last few months.
Their advance has driven the Congolese army out of much of North and South Kivu provinces and has raised fears of a wider regional war.
The UN agency said on Friday that many of those displaced by the violence were doing so again in a region scarred by decades of conflict and violence.
“In and around the city of Goma in North Kivu, sites that were previously home to 400,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have all been destroyed, leaving families stranded without shelter or protection,” it said.
“Due to funding cuts, humanitarian partners are struggling to rebuild shelters, leaving displaced people with few options for survival,” it said.
Horrific
Like many humanitarian organisations, the UNHCR has been rocked by US foreign aid cuts imposed by President Donald Trump.
The lack of funds is hampering the distribution of essential items such as blankets, mosquito nets and even soap to displaced people, the agency said.
“The situation in neighbouring Uganda and Burundi is almost as dire, the agency added.
More than 28,000 Congolese refugees have crossed the border into Uganda since January — a five-fold increase on the same period last year. Another 10,000 are expected to arrive by the end of this month.
“Reports from next arrivals indicate a desperate flight from conflict and horrific human rights violations,” said UNHCR spokeswoman Eujin Byun.
Most reception and transit centres in Uganda are currently hosting seven times more than their capacity and lack water, sanitation and shelter.
Funding cuts have left health centres overwhelmed and child malnutrition is “soaring”.
The UNHRC said 68,000 refugees had arrived in Burundi’s Rugombo commune since February but inadequate sanitation, overcrowding and lack of healthcare had seen eight suspected cases of cholera.
