ICRC assists Pool IDPs in Brazzaville

About 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the Pool Region currently living in eight sites in the south of Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo, have benefited from aid provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ICRC reported on Monday that it provided soap, clothing and sheets to 4,351 IDP families during a 10-day distribution effort that ended on Friday. The distributions were accompanied by hygiene awareness-raising efforts. ICRC said that so far this year, it had also installed more than 100 showers, three wells and four dormitories in the Kimbanguiste, Mansimou, Sangolo Catholique and Moussosso IDP sites, and had provided 15,000-litre drinking water reservoirs to the Massissia Salutiste, Sangolo Catholique, Sangolo Evangelique, Mansimou IDP sites. Moreover, cistern trucks had been delivering about 120,000 litres of water to IDP sites each week. On 4 July, the Congolese government announced that it hoped to have all IDPs from the Pool Region returned to their homes by the end of July. The improved situation in Pool followed a peace agreement signed on 17 March between the government and "Ninja" rebels of Rev Frederic Bitsangou, alias Pasteur Ntoumi, which ended a year of hostilities. Tens of thousands of people fled the region, while fighting trapped many more.