Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
13 November 2007
Kigali — About 6,500 people who have been driven out of their homes in North Kivu are now being distributed with emergency supplies by the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) and the local Red Cross, RNA has established.
According to ICRC the operation is to save over 1,300 families (about 6,500 people) who have been resettled some 40 km north of Bukavu. "To help the families meet urgent needs, we are providing them with basic items, including clothing, blankets, mats, soap, hoes, buckets and kitchen sets," said Patrick Walder head of ICRC Sub-delegation in Bukavu.
The displacement of civilians has been caused by armed clashes in North Kivu between Government and renegade armed forces led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda for over two months. According to ICRC, thousands of innocent people have sought refuge between Minova and Nyabibwe in Southern Kivu
The displaced thousands reportedly left their vital resources and arrived empty-handed making living conditions increasingly difficult.
ICRC indicated that, it was sending supplies to the medical facilities to enable the vulnerable sick people get basic medical care. "Each facility has been sent a special kit for the treatment of war-wounded victims and the essential medicines for the care of rape victims."
The international humanitarian body says it is extremely concerned about the depreciations being committed against the civilian population by bearers of weapons: rape, pillage, summary executions and forced recruitment of minors.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of previously uprooted Congolese in five major displacement camps were forced to flee again last week following the latest confrontation between government forces and suspected renegade troops in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to UNHCR staff in the area, panic has spread among the displaced people in camps near the town of Goma though apparently not directly targeted.
"The main road toward Sake was crowded with people; we had difficulties getting through," said UNHCR field safety advisor Pierre Nazroo. "Internally displace people are moving from site to site, direction Goma."
With sharpening inter-ethnic divides and a continuous build-up of military forces risks of severe human rights abuses and violence against civilians are feared.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
