Over 800,000 displaced and returned persons

The UN Country Team (UNCT) in the Republic of Congo has produced new working estimates for the total number of displaced and recently returned persons, putting the figure at 810,000. This number includes both former urban and rural dwellers, mainly inside the country but also including some refugees. Of these, the team said some 340,000 former urban residents were displaced in December 1998 and January 1999 - 200,000 have returned, including 150,000 to Brazzaville. It added that a further 140,000 former urban residents have yet to return and remain in the forest and other rural areas in “very difficult humanitarian conditions”. Another 440,000 rural dwellers are reportedly displaced within the four most affected regions of Pool, Bouenza, Niari, Lekoumou and also in the coastal town of Pointe Noire. There are additionally some 30,000 refugees outside the country in the DRC and Gabon. Meanwhile, the team said tens of thousands more people in rural areas are not displaced but are “seriously affected” by prolonged food shortages, lack of clean water, and lack of access to health care services. The UNCT said the figures are still rudimentary but are being “steadily improved”.