390,000 internally displaced due to fighting in DR Congo: UN

More than 390,000 people have become internally displaced due to the persisting armed conflict between non-state armed actor March 23 Movement (M23) and the army, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said Tuesday the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Since the end of March 2022, the M23 has been on the offensive in the eastern DRC province of North Kivu, reported Xinhua.

The majority of the displaced (53 percent) stay with local host communities, putting an additional strain on already scarce resources and increasing food insecurity, said the OCHA in a statement, noting that around 679,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the territories of Rutshuru, Lubero and Nyiragongo, all located in the North Kivu province.

While access is hampered, humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance to displaced persons, having reached 130,000 persons so far. The focus is on emergency shelter, food, health, water, hygiene, and protection, as well as education in emergencies, according to the statement.

Around 50 million dollars are urgently needed to cover the most basic needs of the most vulnerable 315,000 persons, while a total of 91,000 Congolese people have sought asylum in neighboring Uganda since the beginning of the year, which continues to stretch Uganda's reception and protection capacity, it said.