There are Still Thousands of People Moving About in Both North and South Kivu
Hundreds of thousands of people are still evacuating North Kivu and South Kivu, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). According to partners in North Kivu, over 110,000 individuals have begun to relocate to communities in the Masisi, Rutshuru, and Nyiragongo areas after fleeing the Goma displacement centres.
Additionally concerning to OCHA and its humanitarian partners is the continuous plundering of infrastructure in internally displaced people’s camps. As a result, there are severe financial losses and diminished response capabilities when humanitarian facilities such as water supplies, health facilities, and cholera treatment centres are lost at the locations.
The destruction of humanitarian facilities at the locations, including as water supplies, health facilities, and cholera treatment centres, causes large financial losses and diminished response capabilities.
The 72-hour deadline that M23 officials gave displaced people residing in Goma’s sites and communal centres on February 9 to evacuate and return to their communities continues to worry the UN and its humanitarian partners. The M23 said in a statement released on Monday, February 10, that while it welcomes and completely supports voluntary returns, it does not force anyone to do so in the absence of clear security guarantees. The UN reaffirmed that all returns must be voluntary and occur in conformity with international humanitarian law in a dignified, safe, and informed manner.
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