UN Humanitarian Chief Urges More Support of People Fleeing Violence in Eastern DR Congo
New York, Aug 9 2012 - In the wake of a visit to a refugee camp in southern Rwanda, the United Nations top humanitarian
official today called for greater support for people displaced by fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC).
“The affected Congolese, in Rwanda and the DRC, want an end to the violence and a chance to return home,” the
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, said in a news release. “It is vital that all partners
in the region contribute to solve this crisis which is affecting the region.”
Earlier Thursday, Ms. Amos visited the Kigeme refugee camp in southern Rwanda, where more than 11,500 Congolese are
housed.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Ms. Amos heads, about 20,000
people have crossed the DRC border into Rwanda, fleeing armed violence in the DRC’s North Kivu province.
The eastern DRC – particularly its provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu – has been plagued by violence over the past
few months as a group of renegade soldiers known as the 23 March Movement (M23) has been active in the area.
The M23 has clashed with national army troops, which have been supported by peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization
Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), and has caused massive displacement of local residents, in addition to raising concerns
about the region’s stability.
In addition, the fighting in eastern DRC has uprooted nearly half a million people over the past four months, including
some 220,000 people in North Kivu province, 200,000 in South Kivu province, and more than 51,000 who have fled to
neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda. The M23’s activities have led to condemnation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the
Security Council.
The Rwandan Government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are responsible for coordination
efforts in Kigeme camp, with UN humanitarian agencies and their non-governmental partners providing basic services such
as water, sanitation, health and food.
“The Government of Rwanda has played a crucial role in the relief effort, providing a site where families, children
separated from their parents, the elderly and other vulnerable persons have sought safety,” Ms. Amos said “However, more
resources are needed to scale up the response.”
While in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, Ms. Amos met Prime Minister Pierre Habururemyi and Foreign Minister Louise
Mushikiwabo. Their discussions centred on the ongoing relief efforts in DRC and Rwanda, and the ways in which the United
Nations and its partners are supporting them, as well as regional efforts to resolve the crisis.
Earlier this week, Secretary-General Ban renewed his call for the regional grouping known as the International
Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) to help resolve the security crisis in the eastern DRC.
Ms. Amos’ visit to Rwanda was preceded by a visit to DRC. The three-day mission to the two African countries was aimed
at highlighting the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the DRC and its effect on the region, particularly on
neighbouring Rwanda, in addition to discussing ways of strengthening relief efforts and mobilizing additional
assistance, including financial support, with Congolese and Rwandan authorities and other humanitarian partners.
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
ENDS