Congolese refugees in Sudan’s Western Equatoria get Humanitarian Aid
October 23, 2008 (GANGURA) — Congolese refugees in the Sudan-Congo remote border village Gangura have received emergency food aid, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Yambio has said.
”Some 5,000 Congolese refugees living in the Gangura border camps have received food items of sorghum, soya beans and cooking oil,” says Khalid Halim, the UNHCR Manager in Yambio.
Halim says that, some more are still coming as they continue to flee from Congo on the fear of their safety from the LRA.
The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates at least 5,000 people have arrived in Sudan after fleeing “ferocious” attacks by the rebel group in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Some refugees told UNHCR that children were abducted, houses burned and villagers wounded in the attacks.
“People’s health and immune systems are being eroded by constant displacement and being forced to sleep out in the bush to avoid attacks, making children even more vulnerable to malnutrition.” Says a nurse working with non-profit INGO Doctors without borders (Madecin sans Frontiers – MSF – Spain).
Responding to the influx of Congolese Refugees in Gangura MSF has ongoing projects in Gangura Clinic in the close border in Democratic Republic of Congo; an MSF team is providing services in Gangura. The team in Yambio is using the Gangura clinic to reach the refugees who have been displaced and fled to Sudan from the LRA violence.
The agricultural economy that the vast majority depends on has been all but destroyed in many areas, due to repeated attacks from the LRA bandits.
However, Gangura Area chief, Mr. Samuel, appealed to the UN agencies, INGO and GOSS to supply non-food items of jerry-cans, blankets, soap and temporary shelters to refugees. He says that, “he had asked his villagers to host the refuges; he added that, he himself is hosting 60 heads of the refugees.”
According to an email with the mapping of LRA attacks point sent to Minister of Information and Communications, Joseph Ngere, the LRA are believed to have abducted many Congolese children causing more fears in the Congolese to seek refugee in neighbouring Sudan.
(ST)