Tens of thousands desperate for food, blankets, medicines

Tens of thousands of displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are still in desperate need of dry food rations, blankets, warm clothing and medicines, as fighting continues to deny humanitarian agents access to the affected area, humanitarian sources told IRIN on Thursday.

"There has been no humanitarian access to the High Plateau of South Kivu since fighting intensified in early June," one humanitarian worker said.

Fighting between the Rwandan army and the dissident Banyamulenge forces commanded by Patrick Masunzu had displaced "in excess of 40,000" people, the worker, who asked not to be identified, said.

"There appears to be two main forms of displacement," the official said. "There has been spontaneous flight from incidents and areas of intense fighting, and many people have crowded into villages around the centre of Minembwe. To the northwest, in the region of Itombwe, significant numbers are reported to have been forcibly regrouped into concentrated areas in order to deny opportunity for dissident fighters to shelter among the population."

Mayi Mayi groups, Interahamwe and Burundian rebels - les Forces pour la defense de la democratie (FDD) - had reportedly been fighting the Rwandan forces in the plateau, the worker said. These anti-Rwandan forces are a loose association of Congolese, Rwanda and Burundian groups. During June, the worker said, these forces changed their tactics from hit-and-run raids to larger-scaled pitched battles against the Rwandan army. The latest confrontation was reported on 5 and 6 July.

Agriculture disrupted

Fighting had disrupted pastoral and agricultural patterns in the plateau, the worker said, adding: "Messages arriving in Uvira speak of increasing difficulty of access to food, and of hunger becoming widespread."
Herdsmen were, the worker said, unable to move the cattle to fresh grazing areas, thereby weakening the animals. Desperation had driven people to using wooden fencing around fields for firewood, resulting in cows and goats destroying the remaining harvest.

"People are, anyway, unable to reach their fields," the humanitarian worker said. "Herders are unable to reach markets to sell or exchange livestock for other foodstuffs."

In addition, the worker said, cold weather in the plateau had aggravated sickness among the displaced who were without shelter or warm clothing.

"The most pressing need continues to be the negotiation of access for an international mission to assess humanitarian needs," the humanitarian worker said. "Safeguards have to be negotiated with the Rwandan authorities who have military control of the landing strip at Minembwe."