DRC: Assistance to 54,000 people suspended following attack

Bunia, March 1 - Humanitarian organisations have suspended assistance to 40,000 internally displaced people sheltering in the Kakwa and Tché areas of Ituri, following Friday's attack on MONUC peacekeepers patrolling in the Kakwa area.
This follows the suspension of humanitarian assistance to Gina, north of Bunia, last week, after militia threatened humanitarian workers distributing food to the 14,000 IDPs who have sought shelter in host families in the area. Over 54,000 recently displaced people are now without vital humanitarian assistance in Ituri.

"The deteriorating security situation in and around Kakwa, Tché and Gina no longer allows the distribution of food items or vital medical and water interventions for the IDPs" confirmed Modibo Traore, OCHA's Head of Office in Bunia.

Families in the Kakwa camp received non food items such as blankets, plastic sheeting, jerrycans and soap from UNICEF earlier in the month, however at least 600 families have not yet received their most recent food rations. There are also fears of an epidemic in the camp, as people are living in cramped conditions with only basic sanitation facilities.

"OCHA is extremely concerned for the plight of the people in the camps" said Mr Traore.

"The survival of these vulnerable people in terms of food, clean water and medical care depends entirely on continued humanitarian interventions by aid workers".

The humanitarian community will continue to review the security situation on daily basis to determine whether vital assistance can resume in the area.

Fighting between various militia groups has caused the displacement of over 70,000 people in the Territory of Djugu since the beginning of the year. Security conditions in the area continue to deteriorate and humanitarian organisations are currently only able to access three out of the six sites where the displaced have gathered.

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