UN fears disease among refugees
2008-11-30 22:52
Ishasha - The UN refugee agency
UNHCR has warned that disease could break out among thousands of
refugees fleeing the violence in their east Congo villages and
pouring across the border into Uganda.
Many refugees crossed a game park full of wild animals to
reach the relative safety of the border town of Ishasha, and
have had to put up makeshift shelters of sticks and polythene
bags to keep off the sun and rain.
A ceasefire declared by Tutsi rebel General Laurent Nkunda
has halted fighting with government troops in the Democratic
Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, but his fighters have
attacked militia allies of the government, sending refugees
fleeing east into Uganda.
"In the last three days, we have seen over 15 000 refugees
coming in and we fear that any disease could break out due to
poor sanitary conditions and congestion," UNHCR field officer
Yumiko Takashima told Reuters in the border district of Kanungu.
Chaotic scenes
Chaotic scenes are common among the refugees as aid workers
distribute food relief at Ishasha Primary School.
"I came two days ago and have eaten only one meal. I cannot
even find my daughter and wife.
"Why doesn't the international
community solve Congo's problems once and for all?" said a
worried and angry Foustine Lumbala.
Takashima said UN agencies were distributing what food and
water they had, but the number of people in need was
overwhelming.
A lack of clean drinking water and adequate toilets - common
when large numbers of refugees are on the move - can lead rapidly
to outbreaks of diseases like cholera, which has been reported
around Goma, the provincial capital in recent months.
On Friday, Ugandan authorities started moving the refugees
from Ishasha to other camps away from the border.
"We have eight buses ferrying refugees to get them out of
danger in case of attacks spilling over and animals in the game
park," said Musa Ecweru, Ugandan minister for disaster
preparedness.
Congolese policemen
A Ugandan army spokesperson said the army was holding Congolese
policemen who fled with their families into Uganda.
"We have disarmed the 71 policemen who came in with 45
submachine guns. We are in the process of transferring them back
to DRC," said Captain Tabaro Kiconco.
The Congolese government calls Nkunda's revolt an unlawful
challenge to a democratically elected administration and insists
he return to a peace pact he signed in January along with other
rebel and militia groups.
Nkunda rejected the pact as one-sided and wants direct talks
on security and ethnic issues in the vast, mineral-rich former
Belgian colony, devastated by a 1998-2003 war involving many of
its neighbours.