Humanitarians pick up the pieces as insecurity persists in North Kivu

Civil unrest in eastern Congo continue to create more internally displaced people (IDPs) in North Kivu.  IDPs are not covered by the UN agency.  IDPs are at the mercy of a group of humanitarians.  

IRIN Africa | Great Lakes | DRC | DRC: Humanitarians pick up the pieces as insecurity persists in North Kivu | Food Security Health & Nutrition Conflict Aid Policy Refugees/IDPs | Feature.

GOMA, 30 June 2008 (IRIN) - Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s embattled North Kivu province this year has boosted the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) to some 857,000. The scale and fluidity of the crisis, coupled with the fact that many of the displaced live with families rather than in camps, has led aid workers to adapt their responses.

"This year has seen the worst humanitarian situation in the province; about half a million people became displaced within a short period of time," Patrick Lavand’Homme, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Goma (OCHA-Goma), said.

Clashes involving the plethora of armed groups in the region and regular army have continued, despite the January signing of a ceasefire by most of them.

For instance, most of the IDPs in the four camps nearest Goma, the main town in North Kivu, have fled their homes since the start of 2008.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, protect the various humanitarian groups who are served the internally displaced persons in North Kivu.  AMEN.