|
|
Congo-Kinshasa: OCHA And Monuc On Evaluation Mission in Ariwara
 |
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
4 March 2008
Posted to the web 4 March 2008
Fathya Waberi
After the accidental fire of 19 February last which left 659 people homeless in the commercial city of Ariwara, 45 km north of Aru, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) went on mission with MONUC on 27 February 2008 to the scene of the fire, to meet the disaster victims and to evaluate what assistance could be provided.
The fire tragedy left two dead and two wounded after 192 houses were set ablaze on 19 February last, in the districts of Male and Dema, south of Ariwara.
Territorial administrators and the Aru NGO "Centre for Initiative and Creativity" also took part in the fact finding mission.
The delegation initially had a briefing with the local territorial administration representatives, before meeting the disaster victims and visiting the disaster zones, where the local administrators briefed the OCHA representatives on the assistance received by the homeless people.
"Although the chain of solidarity was quickly established, the assistance received by the inhabitants and the tradesmen of the city remains very moderate. It is far from the primary needs of these people," said a Red Cross representative who is a member of the crisis committee established by the local administrators.
The disaster victims of Ariwara lost everything in the fire, and the families of reception who are sheltering them are already strained with the burden.
The local authorities and social actors thus made many pleas so that OCHA and its partners can organize a substantial assistance as soon as possible, in particular food, and non food item kits (comprising of essential kitchen utensils, covers and clothing), as well as bed linen, school stationery and construction materials.
According to an investigation, the fire began in a simple kitchen hearth in Male and spread with the wind for at least 2 km, destroying all the thatch houses and buildings in its path and leaving a true landscape of desolation.
Among the victims was Mr. Avudri Kirikiri, professor at the Institute of Ovoa, one of many that decided to remain in the ruins of their property.
"My family comprises of 17 people, and we all sleep today under the open skies. All our papers were burned. We didn't know where to go, and then we decided to remain. I do not have the means of rebuilding my property, and I await and hope for help," he said.
|
At the conclusion of the mission, OCHA recommended that its partners (WFP and UNICEF together with Malteser International - the only international NGO present along with local NGO Adra) assist those affected by the fire.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
