Eastern Congo: Out of Sight and Out of Reach

Posted by The IRC on May 7th, 2009

Photo: Emily Meehan / The IRC

This blog is written by Stefan Lehmeier, Emergency Response Manager for the International Rescue Committee in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bukavu, DR Congo—Violent clashes between government forces and rebels and attacks on villages are becoming more frequent and widespread in eastern Congo. People in the province of North Kivu have been exposed to such levels of insecurity for more than a year, but here in neighboring South Kivu the resurgence of violence is a new crisis whose severity and scope have taken most observers by surprise.

Last year, the International Rescue Committee had begun shifting away from emergency assistance in South Kivu, and was putting in place projects to promote recovery and development. But a sudden escalation of violence and increasing attacks against the civilian population late last year have dashed those hopes for the foreseeable future. Between December and last month, the number of displaced people in South Kivu tripled to an estimated 150,000. Now aid agencies are scrambling to help tens of thousands of families seeking protection and assistance. The emergency response program I manage for the IRC is providing shelter, blankets, soap, clean water and medication to displaced people and school supplies for their children.

My team has been able to get relief supplies to thousands of displaced people who are staying with relatives or friends along the main roads. But many more are trapped and beyond our reach in remote hills and forests where most of the clashes are actually happening.

Photo: Emily Meehan / The IRC

Delivering relief supplies to these vulnerable people is extremely dangerous. Convoys face the constant threat of ambush, and many South Kivu roads are in such poor condition that they are impassable except by motorcycle. As intrepid as we would all like to be, emergency responders like myself have a moral obligation to ensure the safety of our staff and justify risk-taking. Sometimes the risks are just too great.

Each morning I go to a security meeting where aid agencies exchange information about daily incidents and long-term trends affecting our work on the ground. Our analysis confirms that the direst conditions for civilians are developing in the least accessible terrain. We are very concerned about the fate of the people trapped in these remote areas where no neutral observers are present to witness ongoing human rights violations or protect civilians. According to accounts my team is hearing from civilians who have managed to escape from the bush, hundreds of houses have been burnt by rebels over the last three weeks to punish communities for “supporting” the army. The reality of course is that these communities have no choice in the matter. They certainly don’t invite the army to cross through their territory to pursue rebels and they are powerless to stop it. In the process, many of the villagers have been forcibly evicted from their homes, raped, or forced to serve as human mules. Now they desperately need help. But sadly, they are out of sight and out of reach.