Emergency assistance to victims of armed conflict from South Kivu

The situation in Bukavu remains unclear. Most families stay at home or have moved to places they deem safe by them, such as the MONUC (United Nations peacekeeping force in DRC) compound or NGO offices, some of which are under the protection of MONUC troops. Other families have moved in with friends or relatives for safety, with many homes now hosting between 4 and 5 families. Shops in Bukavu remain closed and only few people are seen on the roads. Over the last weekend, the renegade troops announced their withdrawal from Bukavu, but there are still reports of looting of warehouses, shops and homes. With all the shops closed and the danger on the streets, people cannot access food, and the small stocks some may have had at their homes are said to have been exhausted.

Reports by telephone from the Pentecostal Church (CEPAC)-managed Panzi Hospital indicate that about 500 patients and staff are trapped in the hospital and have been out of food for a week. Families of patients, who would normally provide food, have not been able to reach the hospital, as they themselves are trapped in their homes or wherever they have sought refuge. Other families, who come from outlying villages, have also not been able to access Bukavu. Food normally supplied by World Food Program (WFP) has not been delivered.

Similar reports have been received from Kadutu Health center (200 people) and the ISP University (750 people), where people remain trapped without food.

Cyangugu town itself remains calm. Families hosting refugees from Bukavu are trying their best to cope with the situation. The government policy is to motivate the refugees to move to the UNHCR-managed transit camp but many prefer to stay with families due to inadequate accommodation at the camp and safety concerns.

Several churches under the auspices of ACT member EER (the Anglican Church in Rwanda) last week distributed small amounts of food (rice and sugar) to the refugees staying with families of their congregations, but are now also out of stock. ACT member Lutheran World Federation (LWF) provided non-food assistance (blankets, kitchen sets, water containers, buckets and soap) through the church network to 123 of the most vulnerable refugee families. Approximately the same amount of NFI (non food items) assistance that should cover 127 families was left with EER Cyangugu (Cyangugu Diocese of the Anglican Church in Rwanda) to cover further needs or to assist people in Bukavu through local churches there. LWF staff has been sent to Cyangugu since 1 June to monitor the situation. Further assistance is being prepared at the LWF emergency store in Kibungo (Rwanda).

The NFIs were delivered from LWF’s emergency stock and need to be replenished. If the situation in Cyangugu deteriorates or when access to Bukavu from Cyangugu becomes possible, additional NFIs will be needed. It is proposed that non-food assistance for 500 families be included in the alert.

Since the situation in Bukavu is too dangerous to carry out detailed assessments of vulnerable families, it is proposed to include emergency food assistance for two weeks for approximately 2,000 people staying at hospital or health center sites who have no access to food. These beneficiaries mostly include patients and staff of the hospitals who where trapped by the fighting.

If the security situation allows, ACT partners in Bukavu will also try to assist other vulnerable families. Again, if the situation permits, ACT members in DRC will undertake further assessments of the situation to determine other needs of the population that may require assistance from the ACT alliance.

It is proposed to purchase the food in Bukavu, from stocks not looted, or Goma, which will be transported to the hospital under the protection of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the DRC, MONUC.

The ACT members have requested $49,765.00 from the rapid Response Fund.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org). Thank you.