Over 1 million displaced

The continued war in the DRC has caused the displacement of more than one million people in the country, a recent UNICEF update said. Most of the internally displaced people (IDPs) are in the conflict areas in the east, which are currently not accessible. UNICEF observed that thousands have fled conflict areas in Kasai and northern Katanga to seek refuge in the cities such as Lubumbashi and Pweto in Katanga province, which house some 16,000 and 25,000 IDPs respectively. Some 10,000 and 20,000 IDPs have also fled to Mbuji Mayi and Kabinda in Kasai Oriental province respectively. About 4,000 are in Kinshasa. The agency noted that most have also found refuge among the local population, "putting a severe strain on inadequate existing services".