Displacements in the Territory, Province Briefing note, 30 July 2010

Headlines • Almost 90,000 people have been displaced in the of the North Kivu Province following armed confrontations. • The displaced are in need of protection, food, water, shelters, medicines and non-food items. • The presence of unaccompanied children was reported, as well as of other vulnerable people.

Context

• According to local authorities, almost 90,000 people are estimated to have fled their homes in the Beni Territory in the eastern North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following military operations between the Forces armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and the – National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF- NALU). The military operation, called “ Operation”, started at the end of June 2010. • The ADF-NALU, based in western Uganda, was formed in 1996 and gradually expanded its activities to eastern DRC. After being largely destroyed in 2005 by the former United Nations Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) and the national army, this group gradually reorganised itself. • The epicentres of the fighting between the two belligerent parties, during which at least six civilians have died and dozen of people injured, are the towns of Eringeti, 85 km North of Beni and the town of Mutwanga, 42 km south-east from Beni. Fearing new attacks, the majority of the displaced population (70%) has fled preventively in different directions — from Eringeti towards the neighbouring Orientale Province, in the Ituri District — from Mutwanga towards the town of Beni and Lubango. Others displaced have left the southern town of Bulambo to reach Bunyuka and . Aid agencies have registered ongoing arrival of displaced people during the last days and the total figure is expected to rise. Some of the IDPs are currently seeking refugee in schools and churches, although the majority are staying with host families. Despite the efforts made by local authorities to convince people to return, they prefer to wait until the security situation improves. • According to the provincial authorities in , currently there are more than 55,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Oicha, 2,600 in Mbau, 1,150 in Mavivi.

Humanitarian access

• The access on the road linking Mbau to Kamango is currently reduced to the presence of ADF-NALU elements. • On 26 July, chaos and disorders among civilians in Oicha prevented humanitarian actors to have access to the area. • Considering the high level of insecurity still persistent in the northern area of Beni, United Nations humanitarian organizations have limited access to the affected areas.

Protection of civilians

• Since the start of the military operations, new cases of killings and other human right abuses have been registered in the affected areas. Villages have been looted and people forced to live in constant fear of being robbed or attacked. • The presence of vulnerable people has been reported by local authorities in the areas where IDPs moved. In Oicha, the crisis committee reports almost 1,500 unaccompanied children, 2,100 orphans, 4,200 pregnant women and 142 children in need of medical assistance. Save the Children-UK will undertake an evaluation next week to confirm these figures. • On 19 July, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) set up a mobile base, called Standing Combat Deployment (SCD) for four days in Mutwanga, and is planning to set up a mobile temporary base (TOB) later. This will increase the level of security for humanitarian organizations.

Humanitarian activities

• The humanitarian community of the Beni Territory has been immediately mobilized to assist this new wave of displacement. Several assessments missions, involving United Nations agencies and non- governmental organizations, are organized in the area affected by the movements in order to evaluate the needs of the IDPs.

• The NGO Oxfam GB distributed two bladders in Mbau and Oicha and started water and sanitation work, such as the construction of water tracking and 40 latrines. An additional 1,000 latrines will be built in the coming days. Water purification tablets were distributed in the same areas and awareness sessions on the proper use of water are conducted for the IDPs.

• On 28 July, Solidarité International started the construction of 600 latrines, 300 showers in Oicha.

• In Oicha, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) distributed almost 130 boxes of enriched wheat, known as Plumpy Nuts, to help assisting malnourished children. Between 26 and 28 July, Merlin distributed an emergency supply of essential drugs and health kits, totally approximately five metric cubes of equipment and partly donated by the World Health Organization (WHO), to the five worst affected health centres in Oicha health zone. In addition Merlin donated a supply of surgical kits to Oicha General Hospital to help meet the needs of the war-wounded and referred cases and has cholera kits on standby in case of an outbreak. Merlin is currently finalizing an agreement with the Minister of Health to offer free health care to the displaced and reduced health care costs to local and host populations for at least the next three months in parts of Oicha health zone.

• In order to assist farmers, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working to ensure that farmers can have access to their fields, without the risk to being attacked by armed groups.

• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) assisted the people who got injured during the attacks and provided medical kits to the health centre of Eringeti. On 22 July, ICRC started the distribution of food rations, including 30 kg of wheat, 10 kg of beans, 5 litres of oil and 500 gr of salt, for approximately 40,000 IDPs. The World Food Programme (WFP) is currently collaborating with other humanitarian agencies in conducting an assessment of the food security situation of the displaced households to best meet their needs and plans to take over and ramp up food distribution to those affected by the crisis in the coming week.

• On 9 July, in Bunyuka, 12 km east of Butembo, the Rapid Response to Population Movements (RRMP) mechanism distributed NFI kits to 2,000 people coming from Bulambo, in collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Other NFI kits have been prepositionned in the Grand Nord by RRMP partners.

• The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with NRC, conducted a multisectorial assessment mission in Mutendero and Vuhezi and is monitoring the situation of IDPs arrived in Mbau and Oicha, in terms of protection issues.

• IDPs are reported to be in need of more protection, food, water, shelters, medicines and non-food items (NFI).

For more information, please contact: Maurizio Giuliano, Advocacy and Public Information Manager, OCHA DRC, [email protected] , tel. +243-81-9889195 Stefania Trassari, Associate Public Information Officer, OCHA DRC, [email protected] , tel. +243-99-2906637 Sylvestre Ntumba Mudingayi, Associate Public Information Officer, OCHA DRC, [email protected] tel. +243-99-8845386