Rwanda
Rwanda caught in Congolese volcano tragedy

afrol News, 22 January - Over 400,000 refugees crossed the border from Congo Kinshasa (DRC) into Rwanda since Thursday's eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo. Rivers of molten lava engulfed the Congolese town of Goma, setting off fires and causing widespread destruction. The Rwandan government announces it is "intensifying" its "emergency response to the crisis."

Already on Thursday, when Mt. Nyiragongo first erupted, some 300,000 Congolese were estimated to have fled across the border into the north-western Rwandan town of Gisenyi, according to the Rwanda government. Many of the refugees slept in the streets, in parks and in football fields, being exposed to the rain and the cold. Rwandan social workers and local government officials struggled to cope with the situation. 

Residents of Gisenyi also provided what assistance they could by opening their homes and compounds and providing food and water to the stranded refugees. Further, a great number of international organisations and UN agencies rapidly started to provide much needed emergency support including tents and plastic sheeting for shelter, drinking water, food, drugs and blankets.

On Friday, the Rwandan government committed RwF. 200 million (US$ 440,000) to provide emergency support for the refugees, and appealed to the international community and NGOs to provide more support. 

The same day, Rwandan security forces saved many Congolese from certain death after they had been trapped in their homes in Goma town by fast flowing molten lava from the volcano. A Rwanda Air Force helicopter was dispatched and rescued them. The Army further started assisting with the evacuation effort and to provide medical assistance. 

A ten-ministry task force, headed by the Rwanda Prime Minister's office, was been established to coordinate the emergency response. Refugee camps in Gisenyi and Ruhengeri provinces became fully operational by Saturday. The camps are being coordinated by the PM's task force and managed by the Rwanda Red Cross. 

By Sunday, thousands of refugees streaming back home from Rwanda to Goma, ignoring continued tremors from Mt. Nyiragongo and warnings by local officials and aid workers. "Most of the Congolese would rather risk the threat of another volcanic eruption than be far from their homes in what is perceived to be a hostile country," one aid worker told the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

By Tuesday, the humanitarian situation started to come under control. The number of displaced had been reduced to some 75,000 people, according to numbers from the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The UN agency began loading trucks with relief supplies for the refugees from their base in the western Tanzanian town of Ngara. The first two planes of an international Red Cross Red Crescent air lift operation to bring emergency assistance landed in Kigali the same day.

Congolese people today are continuing to walk across the border from Gisenyi to regain their homes or to assess what is left of their homes. "Some are crossing the cooling lava flows," UNHCR spokesperson Kris Janowski today informed. UN staff travelling from Kigali to Gisenyi has reported seeing several vans with Congolese number plates bringing families back to Goma.

Operations to assist the victims slowly have shifted from Rwanda to Goma over the last two days. The Congolese Red Cross has started providing victims in Goma with water and medical help and started repairing water treatment plants. A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team arrived today. Also the UNHCR dared to return to its Goma offices, which meanwhile had been stripped of values.

Nyiragongo eruption
Goma town has been all but completely destroyed by fires caused by massive flows of molten lava. The town's only airport was engulfed by lava on Friday, rendering the runway unusable. Earth tremors resulting from the eruption continue to be felt throughout Rwanda and eastern Congo. 

The eruption left 45 people dead. At least 30 more died when a gas station exploded on January 21, ignited by a lava flow.

The eruptions from Mt. Nyiragongo, which is about 10 kilometres outside Goma town, have been spewing lava down the flanks of the mountain, burning giant paths through bushes and farms, destroying perhaps a dozen villages, and flowing into Lake Kivu. 

The eruptions also resulted in earth tremors throughout Rwanda and eastern parts of Congo on Thursday evening and throughout Friday. 

Nyamuragira, which erupted early last year causing no casualties and Nyiragongo are the only two active volcanoes in the region. In 1977, 2,000 people died when a 1,000 metre-wide lake of lava burst through Nyiragongo at 60 km (40 miles) an hour, which experts said was the fastest lava flow on record.

Sources: Based on Rwandan govt., humanitarian and UN agancies and afrol archives

© afrol.com. Texts and graphics may be reproduced freely, under the condition that their origin is clearly referred to, see Conditions.    You can contact us at mail@afrol.com