Fri 19 March 2021:
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is warning about an alarming increase in the number of attacks by an armed group on civilians in north-eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The number of attacks on civilians in the northeastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group, has drastically increased in the recent months, leaving 200 people dead, dozens injured and an estimated 40,000 displaced, Babar Baloch, UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokesman, reported on Friday.
“In less than three months, the ADF has allegedly raided 25 villages, set fire to dozens of houses, and kidnapped over 70 people. This is in addition to the 465 Congolese killed in attacks attributed to the ADF during 2020,” Baloch said during a press briefing in Geneva.
The attacks are reportedly carried out in retaliation for military operations and sharing information on the ADF positions, or in search for food and medical supplies.
UNHCR spokesman noted that among those 40,000 forcibly displaced, majority are women and children, as men stay behind to protect properties. This exposes local communities to the risk of further attacks.
“Displaced people are living in dire conditions without shelter, food, water or health care. In the context of Ebola and COVID-19, the lack of access to toilets, clean water, soap and menstrual hygiene products is of particular concern,” Baloch stressed.
The agency has been recently clamoring for support from the international community to build more shelters in eastern DRC and neighboring countries to house a massive influx of South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced people and to provide them with life-sustaining aid.
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