Displaced Women and Children in DRC’s North Kivu Province Face Grave Risks: UNHCR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sounded the alarm over the dire conditions faced by displaced women and children in Goma, the capital of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province. According to the UN agency, over 560,000 people are currently displaced in and around the city, with many living in spontaneous sites on the side of the road. Inadequate sanitation and overcrowding are increasing the risk of cholera and measles outbreaks.

Elizabeth Tan, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection, recently visited the region and recounted the story of a mother of five who sent her children out to collect firewood and make some money. Her main concern was whether her girls would come back safely from the forest. The lack of shelter also puts women and youth at risk of gender-based violence.

While the UNHCR has scaled up its shelter, site management, and protection responses, it has only received 15% of the $233 million it requires to respond to the needs of displaced people in the DRC this year. More support is needed from the international community to provide adequate shelter and support for vulnerable populations in the region.

–Re-reported from the story originally published in https://news.un.org/