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Over the last twelve months, the violence and displacement in north and central Katanga have escalated, with 92,000 people now known to be displaced. Already impoverished and traumatised, the displaced have been the targets of ongoing, rampant abuse and aggression. They have fled after seeing their houses burnt and losing everything, seeking shelter, food and medical assistance.
Around the shores of Lake Upembe alone, 35,000 people are now seeking refuge, 15,000 of those in the last three months alone. Since mid-November over 17,500 people have arrived in Dubie - almost doubling the town's population to the point of unsustainability. In the Pweto-Kabalo area, 9,000 people have fled. The displaced either live scattered in the villages or the bush, or in hastily assembled camps.
On-going conflict has caused these people to flee. MSF is concerned about many who may still be trapped in the bush amidst insecurity. For those displaced to which MSF has access, food and medical care are a concern. MSF teams are providing them with medical care, shelter, water and sanitation. We are seeing more and more malnourished children due to the lack of food, particularly in Dubie, and hearing harrowing accounts of violence and multiple displacement. With their homes destroyed and their livelihoods lost, the displaced have little prospect for return.
Their situation remains precarious together with the communities who host them. In Katanga vital emergency assistance to these vulnerable populations has been neglected far too long, yet it is urgently needed to preserve their health and lives.
MSF In Katanga
MSF has been working in the Katanga province of DRC since 1988, and now works in nine locations throughout the province, including: Dubie, Pweto, Upembe, Mukubu, Kabalo, Nyunzu, Ankoro and Mitwaba. MSF provides healthcare through hospitals, health centres, mobile clinics, vaccination campaigns, nutrition centres, emergency water and sanitation and Non-Food Item distributions.
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