Médecins Sans Frontières - Djugu displaced people, DRC

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF258862

Date taken / Date Recorded 14/01/2019 1:30 PM

Country Democratic Republic of Congo

Detailed location Ituri

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Photographer / videographer / producer Juliette Muller

Copyright Juliette Muller/MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Project section OCG

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Maximum Size 4122px × 2756px 8.77 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist In December 2017, intercommunity violence erupted in Djugu territory (Ituri province, northeastern DRC) with a peak in February 2018. Houses were burned down, people killed and tens of thousands fled their villages, seeking safety. They found refuge among host families, schools, churches and set up informal settlements made up of precarious shelters, particularly in the Drodo and Nizi health zones, but also in the city of Bunia or near the Ugandan border.

One year later, 10,000 displaced people are still living in 15 informal settlements in the Nizi region under extremely precarious conditions. Active in the region since April 2018, MSF has observed an alarming lack of humanitarian assistance to meet these populations ‘needs in terms of food, drinking water, access to healthcare, cooking utensils, tarpaulins, mats, blankets, latrines, showers, schools for children.

MSF has supported 9 health centres and two general hospitals in the Nizi and Drodro health zones since April and May 2018. The organisation has also set up points of access to care in two sites for displaced persons and has opened two centres for the treatment of malnutrition cases with complications. In total, more than 57,000 free consultations were carried out in 2018. Despite this, a retrospective mortality survey conducted in October 2018 revealed that the mortality rates were above alert thresholds throughout the region among both displaced and local populations, particularly among children under five.

Following these findings, MSF has strengthened its medical intervention by setting up community healthcare sites in 14 IDP settlements Nizi. MSF has also supported five other community healthcare sites that already existed before and is considering supporting others.

However, MSF notes that a medical intervention alone is not enough to have a real impact on high mortality rates in this zone. Displaced people’s basic needs should also be covered.