Humanitarian groups resume operations in northeast

The humanitarian community in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is gradually resuming activities that had been suspended since 27 April following the murder of six staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a humanitarian source based in Bunia confirmed to IRIN on Wednesday. In a letter read on rebel-controlled Radio Candip in Bunia said to have been signed by humanitarian organisations in the region, it was stated that “in the light of efforts to restore political, administrative, military and traditional authorities in Ituri, and the revival of peace, liaison and follow-up committees ... we, the humanitarian community, have decided to resume our action on the ground gradually.” The source in Bunia confirmed that the humanitarian community had received written assurances of security from the local authorities. Signatories of the letter from the humanitarian community were reported to have included the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Medair, the UN Mission in DRC (MONUC), Oxfam-UK, Save the Children, Tearfund, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).