UN agencies warns of dire humanitarian, human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS – UN agencies on Friday called to end the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting between Government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group expands.

The rebels have seized Goma, and reports indicate that they are closing in on the key city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province.

The hostilities are occurring in a mineral-rich region that has been volatile for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes over the years and seek safety in displacement camps.

UN humanitarians warned that the situation continue to worsen for civilians likely trapped by days of intense fighting in and around Goma, which has a population of over one million.

Displacement camps on the city’s outskirts hosting over 300,000 people, are emptying out as people flee the violence.

Medical services are overwhelmed by the number of injured, both civilians and military personnel.

WFP said water and food are running low, and the next 24 hours are crucial.

WFP Spokesperson Shelley Thakral said “People are really running out of food, clean water, medical supplies and that’s a big concern. So, the supply chain has really been strangled at the moment”.

Many WFP warehouses have been looted and teams are taking stock of what they will need to procure locally and transfer by road to ensure they have provisions once operations resume in the critically affected areas.

WFP’s priority is keeping its staff and their dependents safe and only critical staff remain in the area who are getting ready to resume operations as soon security permits.

The human rights crisis also continues to deepen in the east.

OHCHR, reported that two sites for internally displaced persons have been bombed, caused civilian casualties.

Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said OHCHR has documented summary executions of 12 people by the M23 between 26 and 28 January.

The Office has documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory, located in South Kivu.

It is also verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape.

The other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, fighters have occupied schools and hospitals, forced IDPs out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.

 DRC officials reported that 165 women were raped by male inmates during the mass prison break from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.

Mr. Laurence recalled that conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk said he “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks deepening the risk of conflict-related sexual violence much further.“

He said OHCHR continues to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and is working with UN colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety.

“As M23 reportedly advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, the High Commissioner calls for an end to the violence and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.

The International Organization for Migration voiced deep concern over the hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the heavy fighting and violence in Goma, some of whom were displaced.

IOM appealed to the international community to recognize the staggering scale of the crisis and support the humanitarian response.

Director General Amy Pope said “With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse,”.

“IOM joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access, so that we can rapidly scale up our response and ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need.”

UN agency has been supporting displaced and host communities in Goma and surrounding areas by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other aid.

IOM warned that both the agency and humanitarian partners are struggling to meet the urgent needs in the DRC.

The humanitarians are seeking $2.5 billion for the country with at least $50 million needed to address the latest displacement, scale-up life-saving assistance, and prevent further suffering.