Djugu currently calm, humanitarian needs remain

The situation in the Djugu area of Ituri District, northeastern DRC, where sporadic conflict between the pastoralist Hema and agriculturalist Lendu groups escalated in mid-December, was relatively peaceful at present, a humanitarian official in the region told IRIN on Thursday. “The situation is currently calmer, except for sporadic attacks in villages,” and that may allow current pacification efforts to bear fruit, said Philip Spoerri, head of delegation for eastern DRC of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The RCD-ML administration in the area has claimed to have facilitated a “working document” involving all the parties immediately concerned with the ethnic conflict and setting out the basis for a cessation of hostilities.

Despite the improved security situation, nutritional assessments have shown “a worrying situation” among tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the area, Spoerri said, adding that humanitarian assistance had been small so far compared to the level of need. The ICRC managed to distribute food to 850 families in Drodro in the last week of December and, security permitting, distributions to 85,000 people throughout the Djugu region would begin next Monday, Spoerri added.