By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN refugee agency and aid coordination office OCHA on Friday have expressed grave concerns over the escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which has displaced 237,000 people this year.
UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun said that the escalating clashes between non-State armed groups and the Congolese army in North and South Kivu provinces are intensifying one of the world’s most alarming yet under-reported humanitarian crises,”.
The violence has led to widespread human rights violations and massive forced displacement, with North and South Kivu already hosting 4.6 million internally displaced people.
UN agencies stated that from January 1 to 6, intense fighting in North Kivu’s Masisi and Lubero territories forced 150,000 to flee.
Many sought safety in Masisi territory, only to be displaced again as violence spread. In South Kivu’s Fizi territory, 84,000 people are now displaced, with the local government requesting international humanitarian assistance.
OCHA reported that between January 14 and 15, at least 30 people were killed in Lubero territory, and 30,000 fled to Butembo and surrounding areas.
“These recent attacks are part of a broader escalation of violence since June 2024, which has claimed at least 220 lives,” OCHA noted.
Humanitarian access is severely limited, leaving displaced populations in desperate need of shelter, food, clean water, and medical care.
UNHCR emphasized that “Safe and unimpeded access for aid workers must be guaranteed,”.
Both agencies called for an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians and adherence to international humanitarian law.
UNHCR and OCHA rare committed to supporting displaced communities, but the scale of the crisis demands immediate action to scale up relief efforts.
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