DR Congo: New displacements in the Kivus overshadow returns

(New York, 15 January 2008): More than a half a million people have been displaced in the past twelve months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in what is the largest wave of displacement in the country since the end of the civil war in 2003. Intensified fighting between Congolese armed forces and dissident groups and militias as well as widespread human rights violations committed by all groups throughout 2007, and especially since August, are responsible for the significant increase in internal displacement within North and South Kivu, two small but volatile provinces in the eastern part of the country.

In 2007, humanitarians successfully assisted some 1.5 million displaced persons to return to their areas of origin in the four eastern-most provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Nevertheless, in many areas most affected by the recent escalation of fighting, especially the two Kivu provinces, new displacements are much greater than the returns. "Such an overwhelming level of new displacement is very worrying," said John Holmes, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "Unless peace can be quickly restored, we are bound to see further human tragedy in a country trying to emerge from years of civil war. Meanwhile, armed groups must stop targeting civilians," he added.

The tiny province of North Kivu is by far the worst affected and the most volatile. Since August last year, unrest and insecurity have forced some 232,000 people to flee their homes, bringing the cumulative total of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the province to over 800,000. Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest there may be an additional 150,000 displaced. In some of the most affected areas, like the Petit Nord, the displaced constitute up to 30% of the population. Even as humanitarians assisted some 97,000 persons in 2007 to return to their homes in North Kivu, another 435,000 became displaced in the province during the same period of time.

South Kivu is also badly affected, with over 100,000 people displaced in the course of last year, while at the same time, the province has become a "safe haven" for some 60,000 people fleeing North Kivu. Even though the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) assisted some 230,000 people to return to their homes throughout 2007, South Kivu continues to host over 357,000 IDPs.

The displaced populations in the Katanga and Orientale provinces have been more fortunate in the last year, with the return process being finalised in all but one district - Ituri. While the total number of IDPs in the district decreased in 2007 to 140,000, even here up to 30,000 of these IDPs fled their homes during the last year.

The crisis in the eastern DRC is increasingly affecting not only the displaced, but also the general population. Economic and social pressure on host communities and infrastructure continues to bring poverty levels to new highs, while cases of forced child recruitment and incidents of sexual violence, already at appalling levels, are also on the rise. In addition, ethnic tensions and tensions between host families and displaced populations are much more frequent as resources run short. The crisis has also generated alarming malnutrition rates, even in the areas where malnutrition had been previously brought under control, with global acute malnutrition (GAM) reaching levels of 17% in certain zones.

The gravity of the humanitarian crisis in the eastern DRC is reflected by the fact that 70% of the $575 million requested through the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) 2008, or over $400 million, is destined for relief activities in the four easternmost provinces of the country. Most funds will be devoted to protection, shelter, food security, and health, as well as water and sanitation sectors. Last year, with support for the HAP 2007 reaching only 67%, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) offered over $47 million in support for the humanitarian activities in the country through its underfunded emergencies window.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Christina Bennett, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 8059; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.