UN begins relocation of DRC refugees in Western Equatoria

By Richard Ruati

December 18, 2008 (YAMBIO) — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Yambio has confirmed that “relocation of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were recently settled in Yambio is expected to start this Thursday.

The process started early October this year.

The rebel Lord’s Resistance Army attacked and looted the villages in the Dungu area, in north-eastern DRC. The attack left at least hundreds of children and women abducted and caused other residents to flee into the neighboring Sudan.

The Congolese Refugees fled LRA “ferocious and unremitting” attacks more than three months ago, most of the refugees settled in Gangura, a village about 15 kilometres south of Yambio town and 10 kms north of the DRC border.

The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates at least 5,000 people, have arrived in Western Equatoria region after fleeing “ferocious” attacks by the rebel group in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Dina Sinigallia, the Associate Emergency Management Officer says that, “UNHCR team in Yambio together with the Western Equatoria State government are involved in the relocation of the refuges to a recently identified an area in Makpandu in Yambio County to be the new site for the refugees.”

Makpandu is 25 miles from Yambio town along Yambio-Maridi road.

The deputy governor of Western Equatoria State Joseph Ngere Paciko says that, “eleven times five miles land have been allocated to the refugees; the state government has provided a permanent police station for the security of the Congolese refugees.”

He added that, UNHCR is going to renovate the existing health centre in Makpandu for the provision of health services to the refugees. Also the UN refugee agency will dig boreholes or save water points they also will be provided with tools to dig pit latrine for the purpose of hygiene and sanitation.

Thousands of Congolese refugees fled to Western Equatoria State starting in mid-September after ferocious attacks by the LRA in the Dungu area, in north-eastern DRC. Refugees reported at the time that many of their family members and friends had been abducted, killed and raped during the LRA attacks.

The September group of refugees, some 5,000 in all, was temporarily settled in nine sites around Yambio, including in Sakure, Gangura and Sangua.

UNHCR and its partners have been providing them with assistance and they are scheduled to start relocating many of them to a site further inland. A first group of some 700 refugees is scheduled to be relocated from Gangura, followed by Sakure and others in coming days.

(ST)