Congo Brazzaville
Humanitarian crisis unfolding in Congo Brazzaville

Misanet.com / IPS, 16 April - A new humanitarian crisis is in the making in Congo Brazzaville, where thousands of civilians have been fleeing fighting between government troops and Ninja militiamen in Pool, a remote province in the west of the country, since 29 March. Aid workers fear that the exodus could result in a humanitarian crisis similar to that experienced during the 1998-1999 civil war. 

- We've received more than 15,000 displaced persons from Pool at arranged locations, says Philippe Cachet, the head of the French humanitarian organisation 'Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) in Brazzaville, the capital of Congo. 

Displaced persons, fleeing the combat zones, also have arrived in the towns of Zanaga and Loutete, located in the Lekoumou and Bouenza regions, bordering Pool. "We're worried by the news that the situation is getting worse. The displaced persons don't have food and there are poor sanitary conditions at the centres, so aid has to get to them as quickly as possible," says William Paton, UN Coordinator in Congo.

- Because of the terrible state of the roads, getting the necessary aid to displaced persons in Pool is extremely difficult, says Cachet. "In Kinkala (the capital of Pool), there are no specific health problems, but if the situation continues, we will eventually have to deal with diarrhoea, malaria, and epidemics," he warns.

The absence of public transportation means that to travel to the capital, located some 75 kilometres south of Kinkala, some residents must make the long journey by foot. The main land routes identified for getting aid to the displaced are Brazzaville-Kinkala-Boko, Djambala-Zanago, and Kingoue-Loutete for those at the Kimba site in Pool. "Access to these routes depends on security conditions," says Paton.

MSF has established a functional health centre in Kinkala and the Red Cross has sent teams to the region to assess the humanitarian situation there, according to a press statement issued in Brazzaville on Friday.

The Red Cross has provided medical and health assistance to thousands of displaced since 1999. It is currently caring for 6,000 persons. The Red Cross also is constructing latrines and showers that will improve and equip the existing facilities, and help counter diseases linked to poor sanitary conditions. 

The lack of food is beginning to be felt and the Red Cross has asked the World Food Programme (WFP) to evaluate the situation. The Red Cross is monitoring the situation in Brazzaville, where conditions are also tenuous, and in Kinkala and Brazzaville's southern suburbs, where new refugees are arriving daily.

In Djambala, more than 450 displaced families have arrived since Apr 6. They come from Mouyali and Mankou, and have been sent by officials to various locations. Among difficulties the displaced face are a lack of food, medical care, basic medicines, housing, and mosquito bites. Facing the growing exodus and an increase in the number of displaced persons, the Congolese government has launched an appeal for humanitarian aid. 

In 1998, Pool experienced a wide scale humanitarian catastrophe. Malnutrition, already common in the region, spread to the most vulnerable among the population: children, pregnant women, and the elderly. 

By Lyne Mikangou, IPS

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