Situation in Congo critical due to violence, more than 1.36 lakh people forced to seek refuge in other countries: UNICEF

The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that more than 1.36 lakh people have been forced to seek refuge in neighboring Burundi and Uganda since January this year due to increasing violence in eastern Congo. According to UNICEF, Uganda has hosted about 67,000 refugees from eastern Congo. On the other hand, more than 70,000 people, most of whom are women and children, have taken refuge in Burundi. UNICEF has described this humanitarian crisis as one of the most serious in the world. According to the UNICEF report, the refugees are in dire need of food, clean water, medical care and protection. Transit centers in Uganda and Burundi are already full and are now unable to handle the additional pressure. The report says that the situation is worsening with the onset of the rainy season. The risk of flooding, infectious diseases and displacement has increased. Rates of malnutrition, serious diseases such as cholera and measles are also increasing among children. UNICEF has appealed for an urgent $2.2 million (about Rs 183 crore) to speed up relief efforts. The agency has warned that if the money is not received soon, essential services will be disrupted and millions of lives could be at risk. The situation in eastern Congo has been deteriorating since January, when the M23 rebel group re-emerged. The group captured strategic cities such as Goma and Bukavu, displacing millions of people.