Civil officials warn that thousands of displaced people in North Kivu (DRC) survive in inhumane conditions

April 7 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Civil society organizations in the Congolese territory of Nyiragongo, in the conflictive province of North Kivu, have warned that the living conditions of the thousands of people displaced by the fighting against the militias of the March 23 Movement (M23) have deteriorated. significantly in recent weeks.

The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people (including 290,000 children) are displaced in North Kivu due to the fighting that is concentrated in the territory of Masisi and Nyiragongo, according to a latest balance sheet updated as of March 29. .

The president of the civil coordination, Thierry Gasisiro, has warned Radio Okapi that the camps for displaced people do not have enough water and their inhabitants live among the garbage, without enough toilets.

“The garbage containers are saturated, the bathrooms and showers are still insufficient compared to the number of displaced people. We see people queuing every morning. And there are many of them,” he laments.

The UN already warned that the M23 had intensified its offensive at the end of last month, capturing territories such as Sake and Kibirizi. In addition, it has moved closer to the state capital, Goma, extending its sphere of influence northwards, into Rutshuru and Masisi.

“This escalation of the conflict has caused a mass exodus of thousands of people, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and damaging and affecting the economic stability of Goma and its surroundings,” warns the UN.