DRC refugees need more aid

2009-12-09 21:13

Brazzaville - Aid deployed so far for tens of thousands of refugees who fled ethnic violence in DR Congo into Congo-Brazzaville is not enough to meet their needs, the United Nations warned on Wednesday.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said almost 77 500 people had crossed into Congo since sectarian violence erupted in October in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"All the humanitarian agencies have provided some assistance. But the aid is not enough," said Ben Boubacar Dial4lo, head of the UNHCR's crisis cell for the refugees in Congo.

"We are continuing to hand out household aid kits and in parallel we will keep calling for aid organisations to mobilise."

DR Congo government troops have been deployed to Dongo on the banks of the Oubangi River, which marks the border with Congo, where members of the Lobala and Bamboma (or Boba) communities have been fighting since the end of October.

The two communities have long been in conflict over the rich fishing ponds of the remote region.

So far the unrest has left 100 dead and forced 115 000 people to flee their homes, two-thirds of them into Congo-Brazzaville, according to the UNHCR.

"We have so far registered 77 488 refugees. They are still coming over the Oubangui River," Diallo said, adding that the situation over the border remained unstable.
 

- SAPA