“More than 63,000 people now crossed the country, Burundi, fleeing atrocitiesdeadly conflict in parts of east of Dr. Congo, ”said Faith Kasina, Acnur -Regional Gate for the East and the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes.
Amid the largest refugee inflow, Burundi has seen in decades due to hostilities in the rich in eastern minerals of the RDC, the UNUR official issued an urgent appeal to immediate humanitarian financing to meet growing needs among the new arrivals. “This country, despite its best efforts, was not prepared for this emergency,” said Kasina.
The warning occurs just a few days since Unchr warned that sexual violence and human rights abuse remain unbridled near the front lines in the DRC, along with withdrawals and destruction of homes and companies.
‘Flambing’ aid
To help the newborn, Unstr and the partners are registering in Rugombo before facilitating their later passage to refugee sites away from the border. “But without further or without sustained financing … The answer of the aid is literally fascinating,” she warned.
At least 45,000 refugees huddled a stadium in Rugombo. “The conditions are extremely hard … There are at least 45,000 people who are still sheltering at the stadium. The stadium is literally popping in the seams. ”
The testimonies of many of these beyond serious rights violations in eastern RDC linked to the M23 advancement continued to highlight the seriousness of the emergency in progress.
Dr. Congo rape alert
On March 4, UNHCR warned that 895 cases of rape were reported to the humanitarians in the last two weeks alone in February – an average of more than 60 per day.
A new mother “told me she gave birth three days before fleeing and had to cross the Rusizi River with her newly wiped baby in her arms and four more by her side,” Kasina said. “She was seeing people’s property and people’s luggage coming down and was afraid of her life.”
Another RDC victim tore off the conflict described how she had already fled to Rugombo in Burundi as a teenager – “Now she is forced to go back to the same place now with six children …It is just like an endless cycle of displacement.”
Highlighting the high number of children separated from their parents, UNUR has set up a protective table because “They have no point of contact and therefore these protective tables are useful in terms of attempting to identify themTrying to connect them or gather them with intimate family members, ”explained the UNHCR officer.
There are more than one million Congolese refugees throughout Africa, especially in neighboring countries. Uganda hosts more than half of this total, while Burundi has seen most of the newborn since the January Flash M23.
Before the current crisis, about 6.7 million people were moved internally in the DRC.
