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Months on, humanitarian needs still high in DR Congo

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DR Congo
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Protection Cluster
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UNHCR is concerned about thousands who have fled brutal attacks in DRC’s Ituri province, where humanitarian access remains extremely limited.

Over 360,000 Congolese people fled their homes in June following brutal attacks in Ituri Province. Most of them walked for days in the bush and found safety in Kasenyi on the shores of Lake Albert, which borders Uganda. The recent outbreak of violence follows months of simmering tensions. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced at the start of the year as a result of tensions between two communities.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has expressed great concern about the fresh violence and displacement. Over 110,000 people arrived in internally displaced people (IDP) sites in Djugu, Mahagi and Irumu territories between May and June. In addition, tens of thousands of people are staying with host communities in a region grappling with an Ebola outbreak.

In June, a spontaneous site, set up last year for some 1,900 people, received over 4,000 new arrivals in just three weeks. Many of the displaced are sleeping in the open or in public buildings, exposed to the elements and potential abuse. The mass displacement has also overstretched health facilities, placing people’s health at risk.

Read more on the situation in DRC and voices from displaced people here.