NGO suspends operations in South Kivu

Following increased violence in South Kivu Province, eastern Democratic Republic Of the Congo (DRC), the International Medical Corps (IMC) has evacuated its expatriate staff and suspended humanitarian operations, IMC reported on Tuesday. "Right now, our primary concern is for the safety of our staff and beneficiaries," Nancy Aossey, the IMC president and chief executive officer, said. "We appeal to the UN and the other parties involved to do whatever it takes to re-establish order to limit the suffering of innocent civilians and restore access for humanitarian workers," she added. IMC reported that its staff members were forced to take refuge in the compound of the UN Mission in DRC, known as MONUC, when fighting broke out in the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu on 26 May. IMC said it evacuated its staff to Burundi a day later. IMC said on 7 June four of its employees were beaten during an attack on their office in Bunyakiri, some 60 km northwest of Bukavu. IMC said it was "monitoring" the situation and would "resume activities as soon as security permits." Prior to the suspension, IMC's activities included the operation of 10 feeding centres for malnourished people, training for community-based health workers and logistical support to the Ministry of Health's polio eradication and vitamin A supplementation programme. Overall, humanitarian aid in eastern DRC has dropped drastically since the Bukavu fighting began. MONUC military spokesman Maj Abou Thiam told IRIN on Monday that at least 13 organisations had relocated from the area because of the deteriorating security situation. [On the NET: Sharp drop in aid to the east after Bukavu fighting ]