Democratic Republic of the Congo: Insecurity hampers relief, prevents return of refugees
| Publisher | IRIN |
| Publication Date | 23 March 2010 |
| Cite as | IRIN, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Insecurity hampers relief, prevents return of refugees , 23 March 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4bda8c0a2.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
IMPFONDO, 23 March 2010 (IRIN) - Most fled the fighting with little more than the clothes on their backs. Now, insecurity and poor access are hampering efforts to address the most basic needs of more than 114,000 refugees in northern Republic of Congo.
Currently there's a heavy militia and insurgent presence on the Ubangui river, which is complicating aid worker movements, because you don't know who to trust, Daniel Roger Tam, of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) told IRIN in Impfondo, 900km north of Brazzaville and capital of Likouala department, among the poorest and least-developed regions in the country.
"On the river, insurgents and soldiers [from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC] are spreading fear. For weeks, our boats have been stuck in [the riverside town of] Bétou because of the insecurity," said Jonathan Balou, another UNCHR official.
According to a local government official in Impfondo: "From time to time, DRC soldiers come to our side of the river to, as they put it, pursue the insurgents. You can see them on the river and some fishermen have stopped fishing as a result."
Bétou sub-prefect Col Jean-Dominique Engamba told IRIN the situation was no better on the other side of the river. "Some people who sought refuge with us, having thought things had calmed down, tried to leave again either to retrieve some of their belongings or to see if their fields have been ruined. But they were simply sent back by soldiers controlling Dongo [the epicentre of the crisis in DRC's Equateur Province]. The soldiers prefer the villages empty so they can get down to plundering them," he said.
The Congo government has deployed additional troops along the river to protect the refugees and humanitarian workers from armed groups active in DRC. More than 114,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Equateur province in DRC since October 2009 because of inter-communal clashes.
However, despite this deployment, insecurity on parts of the river has left some refugee sites beyond the reach of humanitarian assistance.
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Despite a mass vaccination campaign in Likouala and significant deliveries of food and non-food items - such as plastic sheeting for shelter, sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets, jerry cans, buckets and mosquito nets - conditions for most of the refugees are dire.
"Once, WFP brought us some peas, a little salt and rice. Our food stocks have been depleted for a long time now. Cassava leaves have become our daily meal," Jonas Babomba Mango, a refugee supervisor in the Likouala town of Bétou, told IRIN.
Most of the refugees fled before harvest time so food stocks in Congo are depleted. Prices of staples in urban markets doubled between September and November 2009. Previously vibrant food trade on the river has been suspended. Lack of nets and the river's low water level make it hard to fish.
Cases of malnutrition have been recorded among children. "Although they have diminished, these malnutrition cases persist," said Philippe Pebila, a nurse working with the NGO Médecins d'Afrique in Gnamoba, upstream from Bétou.
"We have a big problem with sexually transmitted infections, which account for 10-30 percent of external consultations," said Hervé le Guillouzic, a UNHCR health official.
Aid workers are also worried about access to clean water. "Refugees use the river for drinking, washing, and defecating. The swelling of the population has considerably increased the risk of water contamination," noted the OCHA/UNCHR appeal, which pointed out that about two-thirds of refugee sites lacked wells.
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