Over 600 children separated from parents in Goma

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that at least 600 children separated from their parents following the eruption of Mt Nyiragongo on 17 January had been identified in the Democratic Republic of Congo and across the border in Rwanda. UNICEF said it teamed up with a local radio station to broadcast the children’s names in the effort to reunite them with their parents. So far, 31 children on the Rwandan side, to which some 250,000 people fled after the eruption, have been reunited. On Tuesday, the World Food Programme reported that the general distribution of food in Goma had been suspended. It took this measure because civil society groups alleged that preferential treatment was given to some people and that there were multiple registrations. WFP is working on a targeted distribution plan to reach those most in need, and food monitors were expected on the scene shortly. Vulcanologists are to conduct on Thursday an assessment of Lac Vert and Mugunga, two areas outside Goma identified by the rebel Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie, currently in control of much of eastern DRC, as potential relocation sites for the homeless. Aid agencies are awaiting an assessment by the International Rescue Committee to determine people’s willingness to relocate to new settlements. On Monday, vulcanologists flew over Mt Nyiragongo to observe the main crater, in the aftermath of the eruption. It was confirmed that over 600 metres of the crater's floor had almost completely collapsed, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. Strong to moderate shocks were still being felt in the region on Wednesday, but had not been followed by any volcanic activity, vulcanologists said. They warned that special care must be paid to all cracks in buildings, which may be in danger of collapsing due to cumulative damage.