Summary:
- Thousands of people in Kwamouth, close to the border with the Republic of Congo, have been evicted from their homes due to insecurity.
- Some 27,000 people have been displaced and require immediate assistance in the provinces of Kwilu and Mai Ndombe.
- Many had to abandon their crops and leave their farms to walk the few days to Bandundu town.
According to reports, disagreements over customary land taxes initially triggered the fight between the Teke and Yaka communities.
Thousands of people in Kwamouth, close to the border with the Republic of Congo, have been evicted from their houses since July due to insecurity.
Canoe evasion
According to the most recent data, 27,000 people—primarily women and children—have been displaced and require immediate assistance in the provinces of Kwilu and Mai Ndombe.
Following their canoe crossing of the Congo River, 2,600 people have requested asylum in the Republic of Congo. Many people who fled for safety lost contact with their families.
According to UNHCR Representative in the DRC, Angele Dikongue-Atangana, “Heavy rains have made it more difficult for civilians to get to safety, and numerous important routes have been impassable for humanitarian vehicles bringing life-saving assistance.”
She cited reports from relief organisations that individuals fled for their lives and sought safety in the forest after uprooting their communities.
Crops left unattended
Many had to abandon their crops and leave their farms to walk the few days to Bandundu town, which was 245 kilometres (152 miles) away.
According to the UN agency, host families in Bandundu and other towns have taken in individuals compelled to escape. One local chief took in 28 people, including a young man who was hurt during the conflict.
Another host family welcomed 77 guests, but due to resource shortages, other homes have started rating meals at one per day.
Open-door philosophy
UNHCR has assisted the authorities at the border with the Republic of the Congo by registering new arrivals and supplying aid supplies.
Many asylum seekers who arrive in the Congo find housing with host families. But because of the unstable situation, some people must sleep outside, while others have built improvised shelters.
Conditions are crowded for those staying with host families.
Underweight children
According to Ms. Dikongue-Atangana of the UNHCR, “Food is short (and) over 30 malnourished children have been discovered by local health professionals, including one kid with severe malnutrition who was referred to the nearest hospital in Gamboma.”
The agency’s already critically underfunded response to helping 521,000 refugees and more than 5.5 million internally displaced people was under extra stress due to the most recent displacement in the DRC.
Only 40% of the $225.4 million appeal has been financed, with only three months of the year remaining.
Like this, UNHCR has only received 16% of the $37.4 million required for its refugee response this year in the Republic of Congo.
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
