Alarming humanitarian situation for displaced people in Ituri

Action Against Hunger strongly condemns the violence against civilians in Ituri, which has led to a significant increase of humanitarian needs in a region that already has more than 1.5 million displaced people.

Action Against Hunger is preparing to respond to the needs in the region despite the fact that access to vulnerable people is particularly difficult due to the insecurity.

In Djugu territory, where Action Against Hunger has been working since 2018, attacks on villages increased from January 8 and 28,000 new people joined the Rhoe IDP site, which now hosts 70,000 people. IDP sites have also suffered deadly attacks and humanitarians have also had to be evacuated because their safety was no longer guaranteed.

“In these camps, where living conditions are already dire, it is imperative that humanitarians be able to work because the arrival of new displaced persons will put more pressure on health facilities and increase the risk of epidemics” explains Giovanni Sciolto, country director for Action Against Hunger in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Because the roads are not secure, a team from Action Against Hunger has been dispatched by air to assess the needs of the newly arrived people in the region’s IDP camps.

“Insecurity on the roads is slowing down the transport of materials to provide drinking water and build latrines for the displaced population and is also preventing us from accessing the villages of the different communities where the needs also remain very high,” adds Giovanni Sciolto.

Action Against Hunger is concerned about the spiral of violence and calls for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing inter-community conflicts. It is imperative that all parties to the conflict respect the civilian population and the access of humanitarian workers to the most vulnerable in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.