Highlights
Clashes between the Forces Armées de la RDC (FARDC) and armed groups in North Kivu province resulted in the abrupt dismantling of IDP camps, in part due to government information that camps had been infiltrated by armed groups. With the subsequent displacement of up to 35,000 people, UNICEF and other humanitarian actors have been addressing the most urgent needs and advocating that camp closures are conducted in a more coordinated manner, in line with relevant international regulations.
Humanitarian access remains a major concern, particularly in North Kivu as several incidences of kidnapping of humanitarian workers have occurred over the past months.
Since the start of the year through 1 May 2016, MONUSCO has officially reported 23 cases of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (SEA) allegedly involving military elements of the Mission. Nine of the alleged victims are children.
Due to continued flooding, cholera has reemerged, particularly in provinces along the Congo River. The cumulative total this year is 7,136 cases and 119 deaths, 2,000 more cases than reported during the same period in 2016. UNICEF has been supporting the government with supplies to treat 60% of identified cases.
General Overview
The situation in the eastern part of the country remained highly complex, in particular in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, as armed groups, including the Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), and several Mai-Mai groups carried out brutal attacks against civilians and the FARDC. Fighting between armed groups and the FARDC continued to generate mass population displacement, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, with 200,000 new IDP’s since the beginning of 2016.
Following the closure of the Mokoto IDP camp in January, another three IDP camps in North Kivu province were forcibly dismantled by the government, following reports that the camps were infiltrated by armed groups. The dismantling of the camps, with a total registered population of 35,000, led to new displacement towards the surrounding localities. Given concerns that such measures might be applied to the other camps, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of IDPs, Chaloka Bevani, advocated during his mission in Goma that such camp closure be organized with respect for the rights of the IDPs as stipulated in the Kampala Convention. It should be noted that only 20-30% of IDPs in the DRC live in camps or sites, with the majority living with host families.
As flooding continues to affect the country, cholera has reemerged in endemic and epidemic areas, especially along the Congo River. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 7,136 cases and 119 deaths, with 2,000 more cases compared to the same period in 2015. The first cases in Kinshasa were notified in mid-April. Measles outbreaks were also reported in large parts of eastern and southern DRC. In total, 2,386 suspected measles cases and 40 deaths were reported with a high fatality rate (1.6%). Finally, following the outbreak of yellow fever in Angola, the first ‘imported case’ in DRC was reported in early February. To date, among the 42 cases tested positive at the National Laboratory, 17 are confirmed and the remaining (25) are currently being examined at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar. The majority of reported cases are from the province of Kongo Central that borders Angola.
In response to measles outbreaks, UNICEF supported immunization and case management in the affected provinces. A total of 2,386 suspected measles cases, including 40 deaths, have been reported, indicating a high fatality rate (1.7%).
Following a yellow fever outbreak in Angola, DRC has reported 42 cases, the majority from Kongo Central province on the border with Angola; 17 of these cases were confirmed by the Pasteur Institute in Dakar.