DR Congo: Death toll in Ituri camps "alarming" following the suspension of aid

Bunia, March 4 - Over 10 people have been dying each day in the camps in and around Kakwa following the suspension of humanitarian assistance to the area on Monday, and the death toll may be even higher in Tché and Gina.
Humanitarian workers returned to the IDP camps in Kakwa and Tché yesterday to assess the condition of those seeking shelter there and to review plans to resume aid to the area. Medical assistance has now restarted in Kakwa and distributions of WFP food aid will begin in the next few days. However continuing insecurity in the Tché and Gina areas means that vital medical aid to the 35,000 IDPs seeking shelter there remains cut off.

"The mortality rate in the camps is alarming", confirmed Modibo Traore, OCHA's Head of Office in Bunia. "Fortunately humanitarians are now able to resume medical assistance to the displaced in Kakwa, but security is still preventing vital aid from reaching Tché and Gina. The humanitarian situation in those areas is now critical"

Supply of drinking water to the camps around Tché was cut off on Saturday when a key pump broke down. Insecurity meant that humanitarians were unable to access the area to undertake the necessary repairs until Thursday.

Humanitarian workers confirmed yesterday that new families were continuing to arrive in the Tché area. Some of these are moving from the camps around Kakwa, site of last week's killing of 9 MONUC peacekeepers; however others are coming from further north.

"Conditions in the camps are very basic, with whole families sheltering under one piece of plastic tarpaulin" said Mr Traore. "Many of those now arriving in Tché do not have any means of collecting water or cooking food, and no possibility to reach medical assistance. The potential for a major epidemic in the Tché area is growing"

Over 70,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Territory of Djugu since December 12, when fighting broke out between two militia groups in the area. Humanitarian organisations suspended assistance to over 54,000 of these people, in the Kakwa, Tché and Gina areas, this Monday due to security concerns.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Rachel Scott Leflaive, Public Information, OCHA, D R Congo, scottleflaive@un.org, tel +243 81 98 60 444
or
Modibo Traore, Head of OCHA Sub-Office, Bunia, D R Congo, traorem@un.org, tel +243 81 32 75 000