Need for humanitarian corridors stressed

The IRC report said the western half of Katana zone was controlled by Mayi-Mayi fighters while most of the northern part was either contested or under Mayi-Mayi control. Insecurity caused by the war had paralysed the health, social and economic service infrastructure and had limited access to humanitarian assistance, the report said. Clinics in the Katana area were poorly supplied and people could not afford the current fees for health services, it said, adding that Katana’s population had more access to Bukavu’s relative security and functioning health services than more isolated rural zones. The study highlighted the need to establish corridors for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations in South Kivu and other affected areas of the country.