The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the advance by M23 rebels is forcing more and more civilians to flee areas where the fighting is taking place.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC, Bruno Lemarquis, launched an urgent appeal Wednesday for the resumption of negotiations.
“The rapid and uninterrupted expansion of the conflict, particularly in the province of South Kivu, continues to take a heavy toll on the civilian population. The population can no longer continue to pay such a heavy price for a conflict that continues to escalate and now threatens the stability of the entire region,” Mr. Lemarquis said.
This warning comes as M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda according to the UN, took control Sunday of Bukavu, the second largest city in eastern Congo to fall in a few weeks. The security situation there remains tense, with looting reported in several neighbourhoods, including a World Food Program warehouse containing 7,000 tons of supplies.
For humanitarian teams on the ground, urgent priorities include the reopening of Goma and Kavumu airports for humanitarian flights, both of which are now under M23 control. The UN coordinator is also concerned about the plight of displaced people, particularly in Goma where the M23 has given them a 72-hour ultimatum to return to their villages.
“Any return can only be done on a voluntary basis, in safe, dignified and sustainable conditions, in accordance with international principles,” he stressed.
The scale of the crisis is considerable. According to UNHCR, seven million people are internally displaced in the country, and more than one million have sought asylum in neighbouring countries. The new M23 offensive has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people, including 10,000 to 15,000 to Burundi in recent days.
Faced with this situation, the UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss the international response.
The UNHCR “urgently calls for increased support to help refugees and prevent further suffering” and calls for “the immediate cessation of hostilities in eastern DRC to prevent further displacement and harm to civilians.”
ARD/te/lb/as/APA