Escalating Violence Threatens Civilians in DR Congo

Non governmental organizations are forced to evacuate staff from key towns.

Photo courtesy: z.about.com

(NEW YORK) - Concern Worldwide today warned of a looming humanitarian disaster in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported yesterday that in the past few days, as many as 45,000 people have fled fresh fighting as rebels advanced toward the provincial capital of Goma, which they threatened to overtake.

More than 1.3 million people have already been displaced from their homes, and humanitarian agencies are struggling to maintain effective operations. Rebel CNDP forces continue their advance against government FARDC troops in the eastern province of North Kivu.

Concern has evacuated its staff from Masisi and Goma, and is calling on the international community to broker a ceasefire. Concern has approximately 300 local and international staff based in DRC.

Earlier this week, Concern staff in Masisi, faced with the rebels' advance on the town, had to return to the organization's main base in Goma. This is the second time in a month Concern has been forced to evacuate its staff from Masisi. As retreating government troops fled towards Goma, along with thousands of civilians fleeing widespread fighting, Concern staff were forced to temporarily close their offices in the border town.

"The international community must continue to promote a durable ceasefire agreement for North Kivu," said Louise Supple, Concern's Regional Director for Central Africa. "We are calling on the international community to immediately focus on opening up a humanitarian dialogue with all parties to the conflict to negotiate a humanitarian space to aid the civilian population."

There is little prospect of the security situation improving in the short term. However, the Concern team is standing by to return to Goma to provide an emergency response to the new waves of civilians who have been driven from their homes by the fighting. Some of them have been displaced up to four times in the last year.

Many people are seeking refuge in host communities in Goma; many others are already living in refugee camps. Concern says it is essential that relief efforts focus on the most vulnerable members of the population.

Concern has been working with NGO partners in the territory of Masisi for more than a year to provide humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people and host families. The intensified fighting in recent days has greatly impeded Concern Worldwide's emergency response in Masisi, where the organization provides shelter and essential supplies such as plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, blankets, jerry cans and soap to approximately 14,000 internally displaced people in four camps. Just in time for the planting season, Concern has also been distributing seeds and tools to 2,400 host families in the area who have taken displaced people into their homes and provided them with shelter.

Concern has also been supporting the rehabilitation of key roads and bridges in Masisi, projects that employ 2,000 people. The workforce is a mixture of the most vulnerable individuals displaced by the conflict and members of host families. These projects have brought significant amounts of income into the local economy, which has in turn benefited the entire community.

Concern's operations in other territories of DRC--Kasongo, Kinshasa, and Katanga--remain unaffected by the security situation in North Kivu.

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