UNHCR Funds IDR 661 Billion For Handling The Humanitarian Crisis In Congo

Illustration of UN combat vehicles in Congo/ Photo: ANTARA

JAKARTA - The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday, February 21 filed a request for an emergency fund of US$40.4 million to deal with a worsening humanitarian crisis due to prolonged violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As fighting escalated in the eastern region of the Congo, Burundi experienced a major surge in the number of refugees, with more than 9,000 people arriving in just one day to avoid worsening conditions across the border, Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, a UNHCR representative in Burundi, said at a UN press conference in Geneva.

"Since early February, more than 40,000 Congolese citizens, most women and children have arrived in Burundi for international protection," said Mukanga-Eno, ANTARA, Sunday, February 23.

He added that many of them traveled at high risk to reach a safe place, including using makeshift boats to cross the Rusizi River.

The refugees who arrived in Burundi generally came from areas that had previously been destroyed by conflicts, including Goma, and many of them had repeatedly become refugees in the country before finally being forced to flee again due to the latest fighting.

"Most of those who came were Congolese residents who had previously fled domestically due to the previous conflict, but are now forced to move again due to new clashes," he said.

Mukanga-Eno also revealed that the UNHCR team in the field found an alarming increase in the number of unaccompanied children among the refugees who had just arrived. Many of them were separated from their families during the dangerous journey.

UNHCR welcomes Burundi's government's decision to grant direct refugee status (prima facie) to those fleeing the conflict, allowing them to immediately get humanitarian protection and assistance.

However, there are still many urgent needs, including housing, food, sanitation, and medical services.

"We urgently need shelters, food, and sanitation facilities such as toilets, as well as relocations for new refugees to other locations to deal with overcrowding," said Mukanga-Eno. He also highlighted reports of cases of waivers in the midst of overdense shelter conditions.

In response to this crisis, UNHCR together with local organizations have distributed supplies of basic necessities and food to refugees who have just arrived.

In addition, preparations are being made to relocate them to the Musenyi refugee camp, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people. The Burundi government is also trying to open additional locations to reduce congestion.

The UNHCR application also includes assistance to other neighboring countries, such as Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, given the possibility of a spike in the number of refugees, asylum seekers, and citizens returning to their countries, which is estimated at 258,000 people.

Although the transfer to other neighboring countries is still relatively smaller, with around 15,000 new refugees recorded in January, the situation remains precarious.

"Without urgent injections of funds, we are at risk of facing further slumps along with the worsening of this crisis," said Mukanga-Eno.

Source: Anadolu