Source: European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Increasing ethnic tensions in the province of South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has turned into serious armed confrontations, creating additional humanitarian needs.
- More than 76 000 people have become internally displaced in the past two and a half months due to conflict over access to land and water between two ethnic groups, Banyamulenge and Bafuliro, in the Bijombo territory of Uvira in South Kivu. While such skirmishes are recurrent, they have recently spiraled into serious armed conflict involving a number of local militia groups. There is an additional substantial risk that armed groups from neighbouring countries will also get embroiled into this conflict.
- Serious human rights abuses as well as pillaging and destruction have been reported. Thousands of families have lost their homes and can no longer harvest or cultivate their fields because of the insecurity.
- Humanitarian agencies are gearing up their support efforts. The focus is on emergency needs regarding food, health, water, hygiene and sanitation, shelter and emergency non-food items. An additional logistical challenge is that nearly 40 000 out of the 76 000 newly displaced are only reachable by foot or helicopter.