UN suspends humanitarian activities in two cities after clashes in DRC's South Kivu

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UNITED NATIONS - Following clashes in several parts of South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all humanitarian activities remain suspended in the cities of Fizi and Baraka, a UN spokesperson said Tuesday.

The latest violence has sparked panic among civilians, and UN partners also reported some looting by armed people, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, at a daily briefing, quoting the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Local authorities estimate that since Dec. 8, around 110,000 people have fled to other parts of South Kivu, while others have crossed into Burundi. There are also reports about people continuing toward Tanzania, Haq said.

He said OCHA continues to engage with all parties to facilitate the safe movement of humanitarian teams and resume aid operations.

Meanwhile, more than 78,000 people, including asylum seekers, returnees and migrants, have crossed into Burundi from South Kivu since Dec. 5, according to the UN Refugee Agency, said the spokesperson.

Approximately 15,000 people have so far been transferred to Burundi's Bweru and Makombe displacement and transition sites, he said, adding that all refugee camps and hosting sites have reported a sharp increase in population as new arrivals continue.

According to the spokesperson, dozens of cases of cholera and two cases of mpox have been reported in the Gatumba displacement site, which is close to the border with the DRC, and UN partners working in health are trying to contain and manage the outbreaks. 

Meanwhile, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has expressed dismay at the scale of the humanitarian crisis caused by violence in eastern DRC, forcing tens of thousands into exile in Burundi

According to ECCAS Commission President Ezechiel Nibigira, about 25,000 refugees have been received at the Gatumba reception centre, while nearly 40,000 have arrived at the Buganda reception centre. 

He added that the figures increase on a daily basis, with the majority of asylum seekers being women and children.

"Those refugees are lacking food, shelter, sanitary installations, potable water, basic health services, and logistics to be transported from their reception sites to refugee camps," said Nibigira on Tuesday.

He emphasised that the inaction or the insufficiency of the current humanitarian response risks causing disastrous consequences for refugees as well as the social and security stability of the nearby population.

He therefore called for "an urgent regional and international solidarity" following the escalating human suffering and the alarming deterioration of living conditions among DRC refugees.

"This call targets all ECCAS member states, the African Union as well as the entire international community," said Nibigira, stressing the need for immediate, coordinated and strengthened efforts to mobilise financial and logistical resources to guarantee urgent humanitarian assistance.