19 12 12 MSF – Democratic Republic of Congo: Displaced people in North Kivu are facing renewed turmoil

© Aurelie Baumel/MSF

A huge crowd breaks up to let the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
vehicle approach, and closes again as it passes.  It is food
distribution day at Mugunga III camp. The entire population of the camp
seems to be here.

Several people stand apart, at the bend of an alley, watching the
hustle and bustle at the entrance to the camp.  “My bloc already
received its food rations, but everything was stolen,” says Venatie. The
camp was plundered the day after rations were distributed in the area
where Venatie is living. “It was 11pm. The men forced their way into the
shelters and took everything –­ blankets, food, cooking pots. They took
everything they found.” 

Charline is the president of Mugunga III camp. She is overwhelmed.
Everyone needs her help. She manages the camp with boundless energy.
“The population more than doubled within a few days,” she says. “It’s
very complicated to by Browse to Save" id="_GPLITA_0" style="text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.msf.org/msf/articles/2012/12/democratic-republic-of-congo-displaced-people-in-north-kivu-are-facing-renewed-turmoil.cfm#">manage
but I fight to defend our interests because, like everyone else here, I
know what it’s like to be displaced and experience violence and
suffering.”

As the rebels advanced on Goma, some of the displaced people who had
gathered in the Kanyaruchinya camp after M23’s July attack on Rutshuru
moved to the camps west of Goma, swelling their population. Others
remained, not knowing where to go. But when the first fighters arrived
with a loudspeaker mounted on a truck, advising them to flee to Mugunga
camp, they quickly made up their minds. They fled so fast that one woman
was unable to stop and care for her son when he fell. “He fell as we
were fleeing,” she recalled. “I barely had time to scoop him up and keep
running.”  When she arrived at the health centre at Mugunga III camp
several days later, his upper lip was still swollen and his teeth were
still battered.

More than 100,000 people are living in very difficult conditions.
“When the rebels arrived, I fled with the others,” said Béatrice, a
22-year-old woman who is alone in the camp with a young child. “We left
so quickly that I couldn’t take anything with me. I have nothing here,
not even shelter.”

Assistance is being organised in the camps, but remains inadequate.
Food distributions have been limited to avoid further prolonging an
already chronic situation. “We are providing three days of food rations
in order to encourage people to go home,” said a World Food Programme
employee. This strategy seems questionable, given that the few people
who do take the risk of returning have no certainty of getting back
home.  They often end up being housed with host families – themselves
victims of violence –­  where living conditions are scarcely better.

MSF is working in five camps around Goma, providing basic medical
care to displaced people and monitoring and treating malnutrition and
cholera. Measles vaccinations have been administered in some of the
camps. The teams also offer treatment for victims of sexual violence and
run mobile clinics to provide care to people who return home.  

In addition to medical activities, MSF has distributed water and
basic supplies and is building and restoring health facilities. 
However, the needs are still great, particularly for food, shelter and
utensils for daily living.