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UNHCR Weekly Emergency Update - Ituri and North Kivu Provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo - 16 - 29 December 2019

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DR Congo
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UNHCR
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Operational context and protection situation

Ituri Province

The protection of civilians remained of concern in Djugu, Irumu and Mahagi territories, due to insecurity caused by unidentified armed men and elements of the DRC army. On 20 December, unidentified armed men attacked three villages in the Walendu Tatsi sector, Djugu Territory, killing a dozen of people and leading to important displacements towards Tchomia, on the shore of Lake Albert. During the reporting period in Lokpa, Masikini, Budza and nine other localities, some 238 households (1,183 individuals) fled, fearing a potential attack. They fled towards Nioka and the IDP site of Rho (15 households) in Djugu Territory. In addition, 140 households (709 individuals) fled the health zones of Tchomia and Bambu, Djugu Territory, towards Ludjo, Wadd’a, Bunia and across the border to Uganda, following clashes between armed men and the DRC army.

BACKGROUND: Since 6 June 2019, generalized violence led to massive new displacements in Ituri Province. UNHCR and IOM recorded over 110,000 new arrivals in IDP sites in Djugu, Mahagi and Irumu territories between 31 May and 20 June. OCHA estimated that 360,000 people were displaced by the recent crisis; some 145,000 towards IDP sites and the rest to host communities. As displacements continued, Ituri’s Site Management and Coordination Working Group (CCCM) now estimates that almost 227,000 people are staying in 72 IDP sites, 12 of them coordinated by UNHCR, and housing over 82,000 individuals (17,000 households). Outside of Bunia, the largest concentrations of IDPs are found in Drodro, Rho, Fataki, Kasenyi, Tchomia and Ramogi, in Djugu, Irumu and Mahagi territories. Overall, an estimated 929,821 people are displaced in the Province, according to the Comité de Mouvements de Population, a mixed committee composed of Government and national and international humanitarian actors. UNHCR’s Protection Monitoring system documented 8,100 human rights violations between January and December 2019 in Ituri Province.

North Kivu Province

On 15 December, an attack by presumed ADF members on Kamango led to a massive population movement towards Nobili and two surrounding villages. Initial estimates by local authorities are of 24,000 newly-displaced households (130,000 individuals), some of whom had just recently returned from a previous displacement in Nobili in mid-2019. In Beni Territory, four raids perpetrated by presumed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) elements, and one by presumed Mai-Mai elements, were also documented, killing 44 civilians and seriously injuring 14. Meanwhile, DRC army officials indicated significant progress in military operations against armed groups in eastern DRC, and in control of one of the most important presumed ADF sites. On 23 December during a press briefing, the army spokesperson presented 37 captured presumed ADF elements, bringing to 521 the total of those captured since the launch of the operation on 30 October. In Masisi Territory, armed groups continued to target civilians in the Bashali-Mokoto chiefdom, restricting their movement, notably to fields and other essential areas. Military clashes between armed groups forcibly displaced 599 households (2,583 individuals) from several localities in Masisi Territory.