Andrew Philip, Amnesty International researcher, blogging from the field.
We’re now in Mbarara, back from this morning’s visit to Nakivale refugee camp, in southwestern Uganda, 360km from the border with DRC. With over 35,000 people, it is one of the largest camps in the country.
Since the beginning of August, 13,000 refugees have arrived from the DRC - and 5,079 since the beginning of November only. More are coming every day. Yesterday there were 344 new arrivals, and when we were leaving the camp, we saw two more buses, loaded with people, coming in. Half of the refugees are children.
Ishasha is the point of entry for the refugees fleeing from the Rutshuru area, people stay in a transit centre there for a couple of days before they are taken to Nakivale.
The humanitarian conditions in the camp are poor, but improving with more humanitarian organizations getting here. The UNHCR and the GTZ are here, Save the Children and UNICEF are also becoming involved and others are on their way. But the aid is still not adequate to needs, for example, medical supplies are needed. Many of the refugees arrive with illnesses, including diarrhoea, malaria and malnutrition - two of them died yesterday.
We have spoken to people living around Rutshuru and Kiwanja who say they have witnessed killings. We saw lots of unaccompanied children arriving to the camp on their own, separated from their parents. A 14-year-old boy was telling us he’d lost his parents and didn’t know where they were. One woman told us that she found her husband’s body lying on the ground, in the middle of a road, and fled with her children and their grandparents from DRC to the refugee camp.
somehow; I think every one of us, who uses mobile phones, and similar things must find a way to help Congo.
When will the killings stop and the world realize we all need to be humanitiarians and care instead of ignoring the problem.Let’s see how big thses murders are when the whole world is watching them!
I am glad to see my brothers and sisters take on our fate and that of our country. It is time to end the gridlock politic of oppression for billions of dollars in return while innoncent defenseless women, young girls are mutilated, killed along with men. Basically enough of decimation of generations and this silent genocide. I thank everyone that is fighting along with us for the right cause and justice for our people.
I am an humanitarian worker, blogger and ciberactivist writing from Goma, North Kivu. Thanks for your blog. I was in Rutshuru some days ago and did a video on the living conditions of IDPs in Kiwanja, you can find it in the blog. All the best
If the UN Forces are sent to Protect the Camps then that is a good call. Having any Aid to the Region that has better Means of Distribution is a great idea as well.