Kindamba besieged, humanitarian access denied

At least 5,000 people have been trapped since 31 March in the town of Kindamba, in the Pool region of the Republic of Congo (ROC), and the Congolese government has not yet granted the international community access to assess humanitarian needs there, the office of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator reported on Monday. "The UN and its partners have attempted on two occasions to fly to Kindamba to assess humanitarian needs," the report said. "Each time they were denied because the military was unable to guarantee the safety of the plane and personnel." It added, "Available information suggests that close to 50,000 persons have now been displaced by fighting in Congo’s Pool region, a number that it seems likely will continue to grow in the coming days." Using testimonies collected from internally displaced people (IDPs) arriving in the capital, Brazzaville, the UN has gained some understanding of what life has been like for the population of Kindamba. "Packed into three displacement camps, they have faced the threat of starvation and disease," the UN reported. "Their rights have been violated and their homes destroyed. It is unclear for how long this situation will continue." The UN also reported that women were being raped “by more than one soldier at once, and threatened that they will be shot if they report it". While noting that local authorities were making a "special effort" to monitor the health of the populations, the UN warned that there were numerous cases of pulmonary infections, skin diseases, and diarrhoeal infections. It quoted witnesses as reporting that children and adults were bloated, "usually a sign of malnutrition". Furthermore, women are giving birth without any medical assistance, and the small quantity of medicines and medical equipment available is controlled by the military, that has managed to evacuate some of the sickest to Brazzaville by helicopter. Before 31 March, Kindamba was home to more than 16,000 people. When Ninja rebels attacked the town 11,000 people flee to neighbouring villages or hid in the forest, while 5,000 remained in Kindamba. "Since then only a few have managed to get out safely; but some have arrived in Brazzaville on foot, where they then bear witness," the UN reported. The military has facilitated the establishment of three protected sites (Transcuba, Poto-Poto, and Defunt Antoine) in the town centre. However, whereas each site was established near a clean water source, there are almost no latrines, the UN reported. People have reported to the UN that the army uses civilians for tasks such as cutting trees in and around Kindamba to prevent the Ninjas from hiding in them; gathering food (including their own), which the military then sells to the displaced people; and destroying their own houses with machetes so that the military can use the tin roofs for their own shelter. Some have reported that non-compliance results in physical violence.