North Kivu province in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is an area of chronic violence that can rise sharply in intensity. The latest spate of violence started at the end of August and continued into September. Due to this recent insecurity — fighting as well as looting and attacks on the roads — the assistance Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides to the population is seriously hampered and at times impossible.

In the areas of Nyanzale and Mweso a measles epidemic was identified in July, requiring an emergency intervention. In Nyanzale, MSF teams have treated 411 children infected with measles since early July and 13 deaths were registered. In Mweso, MSF treated 312 children and five of them died. Measles is one of the main causes of mortality in developing countries and it can easily be prevented by vaccination. However, the vaccination campaign MSF planned to carry out for 70,000 children in Nyanzale had to be postponed due do insecurity. Similarly, it remains impossible to carry out a vaccination campaign in Mweso.

The latest fighting has resulted in massive displacements of populations. In the Mweso area, in Masisi territory, MSF has since February been supporting four clinics and offering medical care to tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and residents. MSF has provided 40,000 consultations (including 17,000 malaria patients and 440 malnourished children) for IDPs and residents in the area. But when fighting occurred at the end of August, most people fled. Today the village of Mweso and the surrounding camps are almost abandoned. MSF is very concerned about the situation of these populations who remain without assistance.

South of Masisi town, it is estimated that another 30,000 internally displaced people have been living for a few months in a very unsafe area to which MSF has no access. In the hospital of Masisi town where MSF started working on Aug. 30, the medical team treated 51 war wounded during the first few days. Now the 120-bed hospital is running at full capacity.

Finally, sexual assault is another form of violence to which civilians are exposed in North Kivu. MSF treats the victims of sexual violence in Rutshuru, Nyanzale, Kayna and Mweso. Each month, our teams treat on average 250 victims of rape in these four locations. But this number sharply increased during the latest peak in the violence. Our teams treated 260 new cases the first two weeks of September.

The situation in the province remains highly volatile and worrying. MSF continues to try to provide assistance to affected populations of North Kivu.

Related News:

 War resumes in North Kivu, DRC - 06.10.2008 12:10

 Violence intensifies in North Kivu, DRC - 23.09.2008 14:09

 Cholera and malnutrition add to extreme suffering in North Kivu, DRC - 20.12.2007 15:44