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16
January 2005
More
than 16,000 Congolese flee into Uganda
More than 16,000
Congolese refugees have fled into Uganda in the last several days
following fighting in some areas of eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC).
According to
MONUC, the United Nations Peacekeeping mission in Congo, there has
been a recent surge of fighting in eastern Congo between two rival
militia groups, the FNI and UPC-L.
Some 10,100
refugees from northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo are encamped
on the grounds of a primary school at Ishaka, in Uganda's far western
Kanungo District, after reportedly fleeing fighting two days ago.
A UNHCR team is now in Ishaka to coordinate assistance to the new
arrivals, who are said to be exhausted.
Shelter at the
makeshift site is currently inadequate and water and sanitation
conditions are insufficient. Most of the refugees brought some food,
while others have received assistance from the host community.
While some of
the new arrivals have started to return to back to the Democratic
Republic of Congo, others have asked to be relocated to the Kyaka
refugee settlement for Congolese refugees. A second UNHCR team is
in Kyaka to assess the possibilities of accommodating the new influx.
The refugee
agency plans an initial transfer tomorrow (Saturday) of some 600
people to Kyaka settlement. The move presents great logistical problems;
roads and infrastructure in the area are poor, and the trip from
the border takes at least six hours. The UN World Food Programme
and the Ugandan Red Cross Society have been contacted to provide
food and assistance.
Elsewhere in
the area, an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people have made their way
from the Democratic Republic of Congo across Lake Albert by boat
to the village of Nkondo, some 285 kms west of the Ugandan capital
Kampala. The majority are women and children, many in poor health
and in immediate need of assistance.
The DRC refugees
at Kkondo are stuck at the bottom of a sharp escarpment on the shores
of the lake, accessible only by small trucks down a very precarious
road. Most of the refugees are not strong enough for the three-hour
walk up the escarpment.
UNHCR dispatched
emergency relief items, including blankets, jerry cans, kitchen
sets, soap and plastic rolls from its warehouse in Kampala to Nkondo,
where we are setting up a temporary transit centre. The agency has
contacted other UN partner agencies to help provide food and sanitation,
and is negotiating with the local authorities to set up a water
tank at the centre. At the moment, refugees are drinking water from
the lake, at great risk to their health.
statistics
on recent influx:
Nkondo, Hoima District: 5,000 -7,000 people
Hoima, Hoima District: 1,000-2,000 people
Ishaka, Kanungo District: 10,100 people
Bundibujyo District: 150 people
Kisoro District: 50 people.
Estimated total of new arrivals in Uganda: more than 16,300
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