Poor conditions for displaced in 17 camps

The conditions under which hundreds of thousands of displaced persons are living in northwest Rwanda remain poor and more assistance is required to avert a humanitarian catastrophe, according to UN agencies in Kigali. In a UN press statement received yesterday by IRIN, the agencies said although nearly 3,000 mt of food was delivered to the displaced in November, there was still an urgent need for shelter, health, water and sanitation inputs in the camps. The statement said there are currently an estimated 592,700 displaced persons in Ruhengeri and Gisenyi, of whom 416,410 are in 17 makeshift camps. While some government resources and donor contributions have been made available, humanitarian requirements are still far from being met, the statement added.